Friends and Neighbors, 

San Francisco children ages 5 to 11 years old are now eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, following a careful clinical study of its safety and efficacy and after receiving final approval and guidance from federal and state authorities. 

Parents and caregivers can make appointments using:

• Their health system’s instructions
• Pharmacy websites
• The state’s vaccine booking website, myturn.ca.gov
• The City’s website, sf.gov/getvaccinated, which is available in multiple languages and will be updated with local information about appointments as it becomes available across the network of sites in San Francisco.  

Many of the larger health systems, such as UCSF and Kaiser, will begin to book appointments TODAY and into the weekend/next week. Scaling up, a number of larger-volume sites across the City, including those at major health systems, have the capacity to administer 500 or more doses per day, while school-based sites are expanding to accommodate 250 vaccines per day to support the school community as needed.
 
Demand for doses is expected to be high as an estimated 44,000 San Francisco children ages 5 to 11 become newly eligible. After the first few weeks, vaccine supplies are expected to increase and more evenly match the demand. For this week, the City has received a shipment of 12,300 doses of the orange-capped pediatric version of the vaccine, which is one-third the dose of people 12 and older, and is distributing supplies to community and school sites, as well as independent pediatric providers. Larger health care systems and pharmacies are directly receiving separate vaccine allocations. Pediatric vaccine supply is expected to increase on a weekly basis.

The shot itself is nearly painless, and most people who get vaccinated may only experience side effects such as a sore arm, fever, or fatigue. These are completely normal and are signs the body is building immunity to the virus. Parents, guardians, or other person with legal authority must consent to the receipt of the vaccine, and those with questions or concerns about the vaccine should talk to their health care provider and weigh any risk from a vaccine against the dangers of acquiring an infectious disease like COVID-19. 
 
How to support children during their vaccine visit:  
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/visit/before-during-after-shots.html   
•    Bring quiet activities to entertain your child for the required 15 minute observation period after receiving the vaccine.
•    Pack your child’s favorite toy, book, or blanket to comfort him or her during vaccinations.  
•    Be honest with your child. Explain that shots can pinch or sting, but that it won’t hurt for long.  
•    Engage other family members, especially older siblings, to support your child.  
•    Avoid telling scary stories or making threats about shots.  
•    Remind your child that vaccines can keep him or her healthy – they are a good thing!  
•    Distract and comfort your child by cuddling, singing, or talking softly.  
•    Smile and make eye contact with your child. Let your child know that everything is ok.  
•    Hold your child firmly on your lap, whenever possible while they receive the shot.   
 
As always, please feel free to reach out to our office at prestonstaff@sfgov.org if you have any questions.