Children of San Francisco: Prepare to keep your vaccination cards close by.
The California city has announced that kids ages 5 to 11 will soon need to show proof they have received the coronavirus vaccine in order to gain access to indoor businesses and activities such as restaurants and gyms.
"We definitely want to wait and make sure that children have an opportunity to get vaccinated," San Francisco Health Officer Dr. Susan Phillip said Tuesday during a virtual town hall on the city’s YouTube channel. "That will happen no sooner than about eight weeks after the vaccine is available to kids. So there will be a limited time in which there will not be those requirements, but then at some point, 5- to 11-year-olds will also have to show proof of vaccination to access some of those same settings."
CDC APPROVES CORONAVIRUS VACCINE FOR CHILDREN AGES 5 TO 11
The development was revealed the same day that millions of elementary-aged children around the country became eligible to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky on Tuesday gave the final OK for children ages 5-11, and pediatricians' offices, pharmacies, hospitals, schools and clinics were set to begin distributing shots later that day.
On Aug. 20, San Francisco implemented a vaccine requirement for indoor settings including bars, clubs and large events.
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"In these places everyone 12 and older will need to show proof of vaccination," reads the current language on its government website. "You will still need to wear a mask in most of these places, even if you are vaccinated.
"We’re requiring vaccines to protect everyone against the continued spread of COVID-19," the website added. "We want to cut down the spread of COVID-19 and keep San Francisco businesses open."