The Superior Express -

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) said Kansas has received the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) authorization for administering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months to 5 years old and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months to 6 years old.

“The vaccine remains the best way to protect from serious illness. This important development will help keep children safe and stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Janet Stanek, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. “We encourage all parents or guardians of eligible Kansans to discuss this with their healthcare provider or the medical professional at the location where they receive care about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot.”

These vaccines have undergone clinical trials specifically for children ages 6 months to 6 years old to determine the vaccine is safe, effective and appropriately dosed to minimize possible side effects.

The two vaccines are expected to arrive later this week to Kansas providers, at that time children ages 6 months to 6 years old will be able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine from a large network of vaccine providers across Kansas, including doctor’s offices, retail pharmacies, local health departments and clinics.

In addition, many community partners and schools may also offer the COVID-19 vaccine for Kansas children. Information on locations offering vaccines for children ages 6 months to 6 years old will be available at vaccines.gov. It is recommended to call the local provider to confirm availability as well.

More information can be found at kansasvaccine.gov .