TOPEKA— Governor Laura Kelly says Kansas will encourage its public schools to hold clinics for vaccinating children ages 5 through 11 against COVID-19.
She said Wednesday during the Safer Classrooms Workgroup virtual meeting that some doses already have arrived in the state. Kansas expects to receive nearly 128,000 doses of a vaccine for younger children manufactured by Pfizer by next week.
The governor announced that all children in the 5-11 age group immediately will be eligible for shots and that most of the doses should be in the state by Friday. The doses would be enough for 46% of the state's children ages 5 through 11 to get the first of two shots.
The state is following recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccinating children.
Federal health authorities gave the final go-ahead Tuesday for a vaccine made by Pfizer for younger children.