Purdue awaiting shipment of COVID-19 vaccine for children age 5-11, encouraging parents to utilize alternate local vaccination sites in the meantime

The Protect Purdue Health Center will begin administering pediatric doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to children age 5-11 as soon as the university receives shipment from the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH). 

“We are set and ready to begin scheduling no-cost vaccinations for this age group as soon as we receive supply from the state. Current estimates from our partners at IDOH indicate that it will likely be after Thanksgiving, possibly mid-December,” said Eric Barker, dean of the College of Pharmacy and leader of the Protect Purdue Health Monitoring and Surveillance team. 

In the meantime, parents of children age 5-11 are encouraged to utilize alternate local vaccination options, including the Tippecanoe County Health Department, other IDOH sites and community pharmacies. 

Parents should monitor Purdue Today and the Protect Purdue website for updates on the availability of pediatric doses on campus.

Currently, all students, faculty, staff, spouses and dependents age 12 and older affiliated with the West Lafayette campus, and official retirees, regardless of residency, can be vaccinated against COVID-19 at the campus vaccination site at no cost. The site is administering first, second and booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine to eligible individuals. Full eligibility and scheduling details are available online.