Children ages 5-11 throughout Nassau County became eligible to receive Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky endorsed the organization’s advisory committee to recommend Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine to children. Two days later, Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park inoculated the first seven eligible children.
The expansion of the vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now includes 28 million children throughout the country, according to the organization. Health officials said the vaccine was nearly 91-percent effective in preventing the coronavirus among children ages 5-11, similar to the results it yielded with adults.
“We know millions of parents are eager to get their children vaccinated and with this decision, we now have recommended that about 28 million children receive a COVID-19 vaccine,” Walensky said in a statement. “As a mom, I encourage parents with questions to talk to their pediatrician, school nurse or local pharmacist to learn more about the vaccine and the importance of getting their children vaccinated.”
Dr. Charles Schleien, Northwell’s pediatrics chair, said six in 10 children who are at least 12 years old are fully vaccinated throughout New York as of Thursday, something he wants to improve on.
“We need to get that number higher – and starting today, we need to chip away at vaccinating the newest group of eligible children,” Schleien said in a statement. “The vaccine is safe. It works – and it will be the way we successfully lower COVID stats across the region, nation and world.”
Dr. Sophia Jan, Cohen Children’s chief of general pediatrics said children receiving the vaccine will help them and the rest of the population throughout the country get back on track with their normal lives quickly and effectively.
“Not only will they be able to get back to school and enjoy the holidays, but the important things – like hugging their parents and visiting their grandparents – we can start thinking about these things again,” Jan said in a statement.
Northwell established a vaccination pod at 1 Marcus Ave. in New Hyde Park that will inoculate the public on Nov. 7 and 14 from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
The state Health Department, which breaks down vaccination rates by ZIP code, found that on the North Shore the 11042 ZIP code of New Hyde Park continues to have the lowest rate at 23.9 percent of people vaccinated. That area, however, consists primarily of businesses south of Northern State Parkway and along Marcus Avenue.
The next lowest vaccination rate on the North Shore is the 76 percent in the 11024 ZIP code of the Great Neck peninsula, which includes the Village of Kings Point.
The next lowest one is also in Great Neck, with the 11023 ZIP code at a 78.6 percent rate, according to the figures. This area incorporates parts of the villages of Great Neck and Saddle Rock, along with Great Neck Gardens and Harbor Hills.
The fourth-highest vaccination rate in the county, 98.3 percent, is on the Great Neck peninsula, the 11020 ZIP code, consisting primarily of the Village of Lake Success and University Gardens. Some of this area is also made up of Great Neck South Middle and High School, North Shore Hebrew Academy and the Fresh Meadow Country Club.
The statistics also show vaccination rates of 96.4 percent in Roslyn, 90.4 percent in Albertson, 90.3 percent in New Hyde Park’s 11040 ZIP code, 89.8 percent in Port Washington, 89.1 percent in Mineola, 89.1 percent in Great Neck’s 11021 ZIP code. 88.2 percent in Williston Park, 88.2 percent in Roslyn Heights, 84.2 percent in Manhasset and 81.1 percent in Floral Park.
In total, the 13 North Shore ZIP codes average an 89.5 percent vaccination rate. Without the 23.9 percent figure in the 11042 ZIP code, the average for the remaining 12 ZIP codes increases to 95 percent.
