COLUMBUS, Ohio — As Ohio vaccine providers begin administering shots to children ages 5 to 11, Ohio Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff encouraged families to seek out appointments for newly eligible children during a news conference with pediatric medical experts on Wednesday.

What You Need To Know

• Ohio Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff encouraged COVID-19 vaccination for kids ages 5 to 11


• The state released details on its vaccine scholarship drawings during Wednesday's news conference


• Doctors with Ohio children's hospitals discussed plans to begin vaccinating the new age group

“We are on the threshold of a long-awaited step that brings us ever closer to getting through this COVID-19 pandemic,” Vanderhoff said.

The state is receiving more than 367,000 pediatric doses of the pediatric version of the Pfizer vaccine to begin the rollout, he said. That includes more than 250,000 doses ordered by providers through the state’s allocation system and more than 115,000 doses ordered through the federal pharmacy vaccine distribution system. 

During the course of the pandemic, more than 206,000 Ohio children have contracted COVID-19, more than 2,000 have been hospitalized and 15 have died, according to state data. Vanderhoff said he is hopeful that expanded vaccine authorization will help mitigate spread among children.

“While it remains true, that children are less likely than adults to get severely ill from COVID-19, they most certainly can and do become ill, even seriously, and can suffer lasting complications of the virus,” he said.

Providers reported receiving doses on Tuesday, and Vanderhoff said additional shipments will arrive on a “staggered schedule” in the days ahead.

With holidays around the corner, Vanderhoff said families should count backwards by five weeks to have a sense of when children would need to get vaccinated to have full protection. To be fully vaccinated by Christmas, children would need to receive a first dose on, or before Nov. 20.

“We are thrilled the COVID-19 vaccine is now available for younger school-aged Ohioans, but let's remember that vaccine protection doesn't come instantly,” Vanderhoff said. “Until your child gains maximum protection from the vaccine, we continue to encourage students to wear masks in school.”

Pediatrician Dr. Michele Dritz, of Cornerstone Pediatrics, said health and safety measures, like masking and distancing, will remain important for children in the near term, but she said she is optimistic vaccinations will help children get back to more normal lives soon.

“The more we’re able to get our community vaccinated, the more we’ll be able to pull back some of those other protective factors because of the vaccines’ effectiveness in helping protect all of us, including our kids,” said Dritz, who is a delegate at large for the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The Ohio Department of Health has finalized details for its $2 million Vax-2-School vaccine scholarship drawings for Ohioans 25 and under.

An initial deadline to enter for a chance to win has been set for Nov. 21 in advance of a drawing on Nov. 22 for some of the 150 $10,000 scholarships that will be awarded.

A second drawing for those scholarships will be held on Nov. 28, followed by daily drawings for five $100,000 grand prize scholarships the week of Nov. 29 – Dec. 3.

Families searching for an appointment of the pediatric version of the vaccine can use the state’s vaccine scheduling website to filter for providers that are offering it, Vanderhoff said.

Chief of Staff at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Dr. Patty Manning-Courtney said pediatricians are thrilled by the news of expanded authorization. The children’s hospital enrolled children in the Pfizer vaccine trial, and she said children tolerated the shot very well.

“The side effects are really quite similar to those that were reported in adults, but in children they’re actually less frequent and less severe,” she said.

Akron Children’s Hospital’s Dr. Michael Forbes, a pediatric intensive care specialist, said children getting vaccinated will help reduce the burden of COVID-19 that children’s hospitals have faced from the virus in recent months.