The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) will begin scheduling COVID-19 vaccinations for children 5 to 11 years old after 7 p.m. Friday for appointments beginning Monday, Nov. 8.

Appointments will be available at https://covidvaccine.umc.edu/ for all county health departments. Appointments can also be made by calling the COVID-19 hotline at 866-498-4948 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.

Vaccinations for all Mississippians 5 and older can also be found from other providers including healthcare providers, FQHC’s, independent and retail pharmacies.

“We are pleased this has finally been approved, and we recommend that all children 5 and older in Mississippi be vaccinated against COVID-19,” said MSDH State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers. “If you have questions or concerns, we urge you to please talk with your pediatrician or healthcare provider.”

The Mississippi State Department of Health has ordered 51,000 doses of vaccine for this age group, and they are arriving at county health departments and other healthcare providers this week.

Children ages 5 to11 years old will be vaccinated with two 10-microgram doses of the Pfizer vaccine administered 21 days apart. The dosage is one-third of the adolescent and adult dose.

For more information, visit https://msdh.ms.gov/c19vaccination.