With COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11 expected to be approved by the CDC as early as today, St. Luke’s and Lehigh Valley Health Network are preparing for the added vaccine appointments.

St. Luke’s officials announced that it will make appointments available as soon as the authorization is granted.

In anticipation of this historic immunization milestone, St. Luke’s Chair of Pediatrics Jennifer Janco, MD, offers this information, perspective and encouragement to parents of appropriately aged youngsters: “Vaccine eligibility for this younger age group will allow us to protect even more children. I, along with the American Academy of Pediatrics, fully support this recommendation.

“Separate phase-3 clinical trials completed in this age group showed the vaccine to be safe and comparable in effectiveness to the vaccine for older recipients in previous trials. With the delta variant infecting young children with COVID in unprecedented numbers in recent weeks, vaccinating our children is a critical step in protecting them from the disease and its complications, and also in helping our children continue to participate in school and sports.”

LVHN is offering vaccinations and booster shots to everyone who is eligible by appointment only as a way to better serve the increased demand that will be occurring as children become eligible.

Appointment-only vaccinations support the safety and experience of those receiving vaccines under our care, allowing our clinicians to adequately plan and prepare for the number of individuals expected at each location, LVHN officials said.

To schedule appointments visit your MyLVHN or St. Luke’s MyChart or call the hospitals’ COVID-19 hotlines:

• LVHN: 833-584-6283

• St. Luke’s: 866-785-8537, option 7.

You can also call your primary care provider or child’s pediatrician.