NOVATO, Calif. - The Marin County Office of Education has already set tentative dates to offer COVID vaccination clinics for kids ages 5 to 11 years old.
Supt. Mary Jane Burke told KTVU on Wednesday that in Marin County, there are about 21,000 children in that age group who are part of the next group of Americans to become eligible for COVID vaccines.
Marin County has set the weekend of Oct. 30, as the date for the first free vaccine clinics to be offered. They're anticipating the Food and Drug Administration will approve the Pfizer COVID vaccine for elementary-age students by then.
"We think that this will change everything, and provide opportunities for our larger community and our schools to operate much closer to normal," Burke said.
Burke said she understands it may take time for parents to overcome vaccine hesitancy for their younger kids.
The county health office will team up with local pediatricians to hold seminars in English and Spanish next month to inform parents about the vaccine.
County health officials say the goal is to have 75 percent of the county's elementary-age children vaccinated by winter break.