Milwaukee COVID vaccine for kids ages 5-11

MILWAUKEE - The Pfizer vaccine is now available for children ages 5-11 at Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) health centers, it was announced Thursday, Nov. 4 – no appointment necessary.

The offering comes after recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS).

Additionally, children who receive their COVID-19 vaccine at these sites will be given a free ticket to the Milwaukee County Zoo while supplies last. All children under the age of 18 will require parent or guardian permission to receive the vaccine.

"This is another stride forward in our work to rid our community of COVID-19.  Vaccination is the best way we can protect ourselves, our families, and our community," Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said. "I encourage every parent of an eligible child to seek good information, talk to medical professionals, and make good decisions about vaccinations."

"Our children have shown incredible resilience throughout the pandemic, and it’s time we reward them for their perseverance by getting them vaccinated," said Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson. "Vaccines remain our most effective tool against COVID-19, and I strongly urge all parents to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible." 

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Children ages 5-11 will receive one-third of the adult dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and a second dose three weeks after the first shot. Smaller needles, designed specifically for children, are used to administer vaccines to this age demographic.

Although children are at a lower risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19 compared with adults, it is still important for all eligible children to receive their COVID-19 vaccine. Currently, 19.7% of total confirmed cases of COVID-19 are within children under the age of 12.

Free vaccines are available without an appointment at the locations below. Additional vaccination opportunities can be found on Milwaukee.gov/COVIDvax and HealthyMKE.com.

School vaccine clinics

Beginning Monday, Nov. 8, MHD will partner with Milwaukee Public Schools, Seton Catholic Schools and Children’s Wisconsin to vaccinate Milwaukee-area children. 

These 22 community clinics will primarily focus on vaccinating the newly-eligible 5 to 11 year old demographic but will also offer first, second and booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for any eligible individual without an appointment. All children under the age of 18 will require parent or guardian permission to receive the vaccine.

"Vaccination truly is a community effort," said Johnson. "We are grateful for organizations and community advocates like Milwaukee Public Schools, Seton Catholic Schools, and Children’s Wisconsin and their continued partnership and commitment to keeping our community and children healthy and protected against COVID-19."

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MHD will host one to two vaccine clinics per day from Nov. 8 through Nov. 23. Beginning Nov. 29, the same cycle of 22 schools will repeat to administer second doses. All second-dose clinics will be finished on Dec. 14. This schedule will allow 10 days after the second dose prior to the Christmas holiday and two weeks before the New Year's holiday for children to reach their full immune response.

More information on the COVID-19 vaccine, along with a schedule of mobile vaccine clinics can be found at Milwaukee.gov/COVIDVAX.

School clinic schedule for first doses

Monday, Nov. 8

• Hartford University School: 2227 E. Hartford Avenue; 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Townsend Public School: 3360 N. Sherman Boulevard; 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 9

• Marshall High School: 4141 N. 64th Street; 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• St. Margaret Mary: 3950 N. 92nd Street; 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 10

• Brown Street Academy: 2029 N. 20th Street; 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Ascension All Saints Family Health Center: 2400 W. Villard Avenue; 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
• Catholic East Holy Rosary: 2038 N. Bartlett Avenue; 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 11

• Our Lady Queen of Peace: 233 W. Euclid Avenue; 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Longfellow Public School: 1021 S. 21st Street; 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

 Friday, Nov. 12

• Barack Obama High School: 5075 N. Sherman Boulevard; 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Kilbourn Public School: 5354 N. 68th Street; 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 15

• St. Roman: 1810 W. Bolivar Avenue; 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• St. Rafael: 2251 S. 31st Street; 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 16

• UWM Union: 2200 E. Kenwood Boulevard; 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Northwest Catholic: 7140 N. 41st Street; 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 17

• St. Thomas Aquinas Academy: 341 E. Norwich Avenue; 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Ascension All Saints Family Health Center: 2400 W. Villard Avenue; 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 18

• St. Charles Borromeo: 3100 W. Parnell Avenue; 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Victory K8 & Italian Immersion School: 2222 W. Henry Avenue; 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 19

• Allen-Field Elementary: 730 W. Lapham Boulevard; 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Prince of Peace: 1114 S. 25th Street; 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 22

• Bethune Academy: 1535 N. 35th Street; 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• St. Catherine: 2647 N. 51st Street; 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 23

• LaFollette Public School: 3239 N. 9th Street: 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Benjamin Franklin Elementary: 2308 W. Nash Street; 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.