Governor Announces COVID Vaccine to Become Available for Children 5-11 Soon

State officials are laying down the process for Arkansas children to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations once the federal approval process is finalized.

During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11-years-old could come as early as this week. He added that Arkansas parents will have several options available to schedule a vaccine for their children immediately after approval is finalized. Those options include through any Arkansas county health unit or a registered Vaccine for Children (VFC) provider.

The state expects to receive over 100,000 pediatric doses through an initial distribution. However, health officials are asking parents to call ahead and schedule a vaccine for their child to ensure the vaccine is available.  

Hutchinson said state health officials are noting an increase in COVID-19 transmissions among five to 11-year-old children. For that reason, he and other state officials are strongly recommending all eligible children receive the vaccine. However, Hutchinson stressed the state has no vaccine mandate in place and no intentions to establish one.

Arkansas Health Secretary Dr. Jose Romero spoke briefly to explain that clinical trials showed Pfizer’s pediatric COVID-19 vaccine is both safe and effective.

Regarding the state’s COVID-19 figures, the Arkansas Department of Health reported an additional 641 cases of COVID-19 across the state on Tuesday. That raises the state’s cumulative total to nearly 514,000 transmissions since the pandemic began. Active cases saw a slight increase, rising by 70 to 4,490 currently. Deaths rose by 28 over the same period to 8,412 since the spring of 2020. Hospitalizations fell by six to leave 325 Arkansans currently hospitalized due to the virus.