This October 2021 photo provided by Pfizer shows kid-size doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in Belgium. (AP)

       Children across Illinois will soon be able to get COVID-19 vaccines, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s approval of the Pfizer vaccine for kids Tuesday evening.

       Here’s what to know:

       Q: When will Illinois children be able to start getting shots?

       A: It depends on how quickly the vaccines get to area health departments, health systems and pharmacies. Some providers, such as Esperanza Health Centers, plan to begin vaccinating kids ages 5 to 11 as early as Wednesday.

       Lurie Children’s Hospital said in a message to parents Tuesday that it anticipated starting vaccinations at its main hospital this weekend, and invited parents of its patients to log onto its website luriechildrens.org/vaccine Wednesday morning to begin scheduling appointments. Lurie said it was also working with health departments to get vaccines to its primary care providers.

       Many school districts are also working on scheduling after-school vaccination clinics for students, with some expected to take place next week. The governor’s office said last week that the state health department was overseeing outreach to 756 elementary school districts to host vaccination clinics on school grounds.

       Shipments of vaccines started this week, with plans to scale up to full capacity the week of Nov. 8, according to the CDC.

       Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office said last week that more than 2,200 locations and providers statewide had signed up to offer the shots to children ages 5 to 11, including more than 700 pediatric and family practices, more than 700 pharmacy locations, about 100 urgent care locations, 112 local health departments and public health clinics, among others.

       Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said last week that Chicago could initially receive nearly 100,000 doses of the vaccine, to be distributed across more than 125 locations.

       Q: Can my kids get the vaccine at their pediatrician’s office?

       A: Some pediatricians’ offices have said they plan to vaccinate children, while others are shying away for now because of logistical or other challenges.

       Advocate Children’s Hospital has been planning for its nearly 100 pediatricians to begin giving the vaccine shortly after approval, said Dr. Frank Belmonte, chief medical officer. It also hopes to expand in-office vaccinations to many of its 400 affiliated pediatricians, he said.

       Loyola Medicine has also said that it hopes to begin administering the vaccine to kids in its pediatric and COVID-19 clinics within a few days of the CDC committee’s decision.

       Some pediatric practices, however, may not feel that they have the staff or infrastructure to offer the vaccines at the moment.

       Q: Can my kids get the vaccine at a pharmacy?

       A: Two of the largest retail pharmacy chains in Illinois, Walgreens and CVS Health, both plan to offer vaccines to kids ages 5 to 11.

       Walgreens will begin giving the vaccine to kids in some of its stores Saturday, spokesman Phil Caruso said. Parents can begin making vaccination appointments at Walgreens stores starting Wednesday, by visiting Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine, using the Walgreens app or calling 1-800-Walgreens.

       CVS said in a statement that the kids vaccines are expected to arrive in its stores later this week in “select locations” and once they arrive, CVS’ website will allow parents to start making appointments.

       Q: Is the vaccine for kids the same as the one for adults?

       A: The vaccine that has been authorized for use in kids ages 5 to 11 is the Pfizer vaccine, but it is one-third of the dose that adults received. The children’s Pfizer vaccine is formulated differently than the one for adults. The new formulation can be stored for longer in a regular freezer — 10 weeks versus 31 days for the current one, making it easier for more providers to administer it. It’s being shipped to providers in different vials than the Pfizer vaccine for adults.

       Children will be given two doses, three weeks apart.

       Q: How effective is the Pfizer vaccine for kids?

       A: In clinical trials, the vaccine was found to be nearly 91% effective in preventing COVID-19 among children 5 to 11 years old, according to the CDC.

       Q: What are the side effects of the vaccine in children?

       A: In clinical trials, side effects were mild and similar to the ones experienced by adults and to side effects of other vaccines for children, according to the CDC. The most common side effect was a sore arm.

       Fevers were less common in kids ages 5 to 11, in clinical trials, than in older children and young adults, Pfizer said.

       Myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle, has been a rare side effect of the vaccine, especially in older boys and young men after the second dose. The rate of myocarditis after vaccination among kids ages 5 to 11 is unknown, though there were no cases of myocarditis in the clinical trials with 3,082 kids in that age group.

       Among older children and adults who’ve developed myocarditis, most people recovered quickly, according to the CDC.

       An advisory committee to the CDC decided Tuesday that the benefits of the vaccine for kids outweigh the risks.

       Q: Why should kids get the vaccine, given that most don’t get severely ill from COVID-19?

       A: Though severe cases of COVID-19 in kids are rare, some children do develop a serious inflammatory syndrome called MIS-C, and some develop “long COVID,” in which symptoms can linger for weeks or months.

       During a six-week period in late June to mid-August, COVID-19 hospitalizations among children and adolescents increased fivefold, according to the CDC. Across the country, more than 8,300 children have been hospitalized with COVID-19.

       Doctors also note that children sometimes spread COVID-19 to adults, increasing transmission rates. More than 1.2 million children have already been affected by school closures, this school year, related to COVID-19, according to the CDC.

       Here’s what to know about the kids’ COVID-19 vaccine in Illinois

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