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BENTON HARBOR — Following the recent authorization and recommendation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the Berrien County Health Department will begin vaccinating children ages 5-11 years old with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday, Nov. 8.

The Berrien County Health Department is currently taking appointments for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for this age group.

The following clinics will be for children ages 5-11 only. Adults can continue to schedule appointments at clinics not designated for children only. Residents who need assistance in scheduling an appointment can call 1(800) 815-5485.

• Benton Harbor — 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 8
• Benton Harbor — 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17
• Benton Harbor — 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23

Parents and guardians wishing to protect their children over the age of 5 from COVID-19 may schedule an appointment online at bchdmi.org/covid19. The Health Department has clinic appointments available for the Pfizer vaccine as early as Monday, Nov.8. A parent or guardian must provide consent before any minor under the age of 18 may receive their vaccination.

“We urge families to consider vaccinating their children 5 years and older,” said Guy Miller, interim health officer for the Berrien County Health Department. “Researchers have found the COVID-19 vaccination for this age group to be safe, effective and beneficial to reducing COVID-19 transmission in our community.”

Similar to the adult vaccine, it is a two-part series given at least three weeks apart. The dose for children is approximately a third of what adults receive. Doses for children will also be packaged differently and use smaller needles to protect against mix-ups.

The vaccine safety was studied in more than 3,000 children ages 5 to 11 with no serious side effects detected in the ongoing study. Currently, the only vaccine approved for use in children ages 5 to 11 is the Pfizer vaccine.

BCHD continues to offer open scheduling for both first and second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as well as Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine with appointment availability found at bchdmi.org/COVID19.