Loyola Medicine Prepares for Possible Approval of the COVID-19 Vaccine for Children

MAYWOOD, IL – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to meet on October 26 to discuss the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11. Ahead of this meeting, Loyola Medicine is taking steps to ensure the health system is prepared to administer Pfizer vaccines to children if approval is granted.

"We hope that the October 26 meeting will be a step in the right direction to achieving this approval within the next few weeks," said Richard K. Freeman, MD, MBA, FACS, regional chief clinical officer for Loyola Medicine. "Many parents and grandparents in our communities are anxious to have some of their youngest family members vaccinated. If we're granted the ability to vaccinate them against COVID-19 now, we can further prevent serious infection in young children and help minimize their ability to spread it."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will meet in early November to evaluate the FDA's decision and make recommendations regarding distribution.

Provided regulators give the green light, Loyola Medicine is committed to delivering the vaccine in minority communities across west suburban Cook County. "African American and Latinx communities have been the hardest hit during COVID-19," said Venoncia Baté-Ambrus, PhD, MS, MA, regional director of community health and well-being for Loyola Medicine. "Our goal is to meet people where they are in their communities, dispel misinformation about the vaccines and help families make informed decisions about their health for themselves and their loved ones."

With financial support from Trinity Health, Loyola Medicine has expanded grassroots outreach to underserved communities in the Chicago suburbs since COVID-19 vaccines became available. As part of the It Starts Here vaccine campaign, the health system's mobile vaccine unit has been onsite at "back to school" fairs, local Catholic parishes and other community-centered events to provide education and information to teens and their families about getting vaccinated. The team is hard at work planning mobile vaccination clinics to reach minority families. In addition, Loyola Medicine’s pediatric mobile unit plans to visit area schools to help distribute the vaccine.

To request a visit from the Loyola Medicine COVID-19 mobile vaccination clinic, please apply here.

Video of the Loyola Medicine pediatric mobile unit and still imagery of the mobile vaccine clinic are available at this Dropbox link.

For more information on COVID-19 vaccines at Loyola Medicine, visit our COVID-19 page.