Over 129K WA kids ages 5–11 receive first COVID vaccine dose

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Health officials say more than 129,000 children ages 5 through 11 in Washington state have received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine since eligibility expanded to include them on Nov. 3. State Secretary of Health Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, said that while COVID-19 is often milder in children than adults, children can still get very sick and spread the disease. He says getting children vaccinated against COVID-19 can help lower their risk of infection, reduce their chance of getting seriously ill, and decrease their chance of hospitalization and death. Thirteen children and teens age 18 and younger in Washington have died of COVID-19.