The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) is scheduling COVID-19 vaccinations for children 5 to 11 years old for appointments beginning Monday, Nov. 8.

Appointments will be available at 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, FQHCs, 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 5-11 years 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.

Mississippi continues to lag behind the nation in vaccinations of all age groups, with just 46 percent of state residents are fully vaccinated. Only Alabama and Wyoming have a lower percentage of fully vaccinated residents. In Lauderdale County, 45 percent of residents are fully vaccinated, and 50 percent have received at least one dose.

Since the pandemic began in January 2020, 10,148 Mississippians have died from coronavirus and more than half a million have been infected. State health leaders have repeatedly said vaccination is the first step in stopping the spread and ending the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information about vaccines or to schedule an appointment, visit msdh.ms.gov/c19vaccination.