Tammy Riebe of Sycamore said her 11-year-old son can’t wait to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Her son was only a few months too young to receive the vaccine previously, when it was eligible for children ages 12 to 18.

Now, Riebe’s son and children as young as 5 will be able to get a vaccine at the direction of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which this week expanded eligibility to the young age group for the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer and BioNTech.

“He gets a flu shot every year and a slew of vaccines just to attend sixth grade, so one more vaccine in order to prevent serious infection or illness is something we are eagerly awaiting,” Riebe said. “We are very thankful for the vaccine, and our family has always gotten flu vaccines every year so it is a no-brainer to get a [COVID-19] vaccine.”

On Wednesday, the Illinois Department of Public Health adopted the same recommendations. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized its emergency use for the age group last week. Local pharmacies, health departments and other health care providers will offer the two-shot immunization to elementary-aged children, which makes up about half of all students in local school districts, school officials have said.

[ Here’s where your child aged 5 and older can get a COVID-19 vaccine in DeKalb County ]

Riebe said that although her family does not plan on seeing extended family until next year, they are looking forward to a “real vacation out of state and visiting family that live in other states” once her son receives his vaccine. She said she looks forward to her son, once vaccinated, being able to go to sleepovers, play dates and birthday parties indoors.

“Social time with friends has been very limited and we look forward to seeing our friends and family in person again,” Riebe said.

If Riebe’s son receives the vaccine in the next few weeks, he will be fully vaccinated before Christmas.

IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a recent news release that medical experts have reviewed data from clinical trials that included more than 3,000 children, leading to the CDC recommendation.

According to the CDC, vaccination was nearly 91% effective in preventing COVID-19 among children aged 5 to 11 years. In clinical trials, vaccine side effects were mild, self-limiting and similar to those seen in adults and with other vaccines recommended for children. The most common side effect was a sore arm.

The CDC recommends a second dose of the vaccine at least three weeks, or 21 days, following an initial Pfizer dose to complete the vaccination series for full protection. A child will be considered fully immune two weeks, or 14 days, after their second dose.

Last week, Gov. JB Pritzker said the state expects to receive 306,000 doses, with another 73,000 going to the city of Chicago and 100,000 doses to pharmacies.

A doctor’s advice

Dr. Mayuri Morker, a pediatrician with Northwestern Medicine, recommends children receive the COVID-19 vaccine “as soon as possible.”

“It takes about five weeks to be fully vaccinated and receive the most benefit from the vaccine,” she said. “With winter approaching and cold and flu season upon us, having multiple respiratory illnesses together could be detrimental to a child.”

“If you’re waiting, I have to ask ‘Why the hesitation?’” she said. “The longer you wait, the higher the risk of contracting COVID in the community. The sooner you get the vaccine, the sooner you develop immunity against the virus.”

—  Dr. Mayuri Morker, pediatrician with Northwestern Medicine

Morker said that one worry she has heard parents mention are the possible side effects of the vaccine.

“The pediatric doses are approximately one-third the dose for adults, which means that there will be less side effects in children,” she said. “Children’s immune system are more robust than adults. They can have the same immune response with a lower dose.”

She also said that the tests and studies that have been completed “show minimal risks and a great benefit.”

“Having their children receive the vaccine will allow parents to sigh with relief,” Morker said. “If their children do contract [COVID-19], they will not be hospitalized or have severe symptoms.”

Morker recommends receiving the vaccine even if you have tested positive previously for the virus.

“If you test positive for [COVID-19], the antibodies are in your body for about 90 days,” she said. “You do have some protection, but there are many different strains of the virus out there. The vaccine includes multiple strains to protect you for a period of more than 90 days.”

Morker advises every parent or guardian to talk to their pediatrician and “get information from trusted sites with correct information,” including the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics.

“If you’re waiting, I have to ask ‘Why the hesitation?’” she said. “The longer you wait, the higher the risk of contracting [COVID-19] in the community. The sooner you get the vaccine, the sooner you develop immunity against the virus.”

School administrators react

In a Tuesday news conference before the approval, Pritzker and Ezike said it is premature to talk about mandating the vaccine for children in order for them to attend school. Such a decision would have to wait at least for full CDC and FDA approval, not just emergency use authorization. The Pfizer vaccine has been fully approved in August by the FDA for those 16 and older, a different designation than the emergency use authorization currently in place for those 5 to 15.

DeKalb District 428 school officials were not immediately available for request for comment.

Genoa-Kingston Superintendent Brent O’Daniell said that he does not know if vaccines will be mandatory at this time, or if the Illinois State Board of Education will make mandates.

“Every time a mandate is dropped, we plan to return to operating in the same capacity as we were prior to the pandemic,” he said. “If vaccinating younger individuals will allow us to continue to move in a positive direction regarding the elimination of mitigations in public schools, then we are definitely looking forward to this opportunity.”

Sycamore Superintendent Steve Wilder described the pediatric vaccine as “reaching another important milestone towards the end of the pandemic.”

“Vaccines for children ages 5 to 11 will continue to be optional, and we encourage families to research the vaccine and make the best decision for themselves,” he said. “The approval and availability of the vaccine for younger students is another big step towards turning the pandemic into an endemic.”

He said that having a vaccine available for youth “will allow families to consider one more layer of protection for their child.”

“As vaccination rates rise, and other health metrics trend in a favorable direction, it should lead to relaxed mitigation measures both in and outside of schools such as mask requirements, social distancing and contact tracing,” Wilder said.

He also said that the school district will continue following the mask mandate until governor’s executive order requiring them expires.

“At that time we will review all of the available information and make a decision for our students,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the day when we have the ability to make those decisions at the local level again.”

Capitol News Illinois contributed to this article.