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| Vaccination to children going on in a hospital in Los Angeles in USA . |
The first COVID-19 vaccinations have been given to children ages 5 to 11 Wednesday as health officials launched an ambitious rollout to offer shots to 3.5 million kids in California.
The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, a coalition of public health experts from California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, gave its green light to the vaccine Wednesday morning, formally clearing the way for vaccinations to be distributed in California. The move came after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended late Tuesday that more than 28 million children nationwide in that age group get the shots.
“This expanded eligibility for lifesaving vaccines moves us closer to ending the pandemic," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
California's vaccination website, myturn.ca.gov, is expected to start offering appointments for the age group soon. Some national pharmacy chains began accepting appointments Wednesday, with Walgreens announcing it will begin administering shots Saturday and CVS on Sunday.
Vaccinations also will be available at pediatricians' offices.
It may, however, take some time before clinics ramp up to full capacity.
President Biden said in a statement that the government has secured enough vaccine supply "for every child in America."
