Many children may be able to get a COVID-19 shot next week.

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to sign off on 5- to 11-year-olds getting the Pfizer vaccine within the next few days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will decide next whether to sign off on the plan.

Now that the FDA advisory committee has OK'd 5- to 11-year olds getting the Pfizer shot, the FDA will announce its final decision any moment.

A CDC advisory committee is expected to meet next Tuesday or Wednesday. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky will make the final call.

A lot of parents may be asking local pediatricians about the vaccine and reaching out to make appointments for their children.

New York state has pre-ordered 380,000 doses - just for kids 5 to 11 - about 26,000 of them will be coming to the Hudson Valley.

Pediatrician Dr. Robert Amler is the dean of the School of Public Health at New York Medical College. He is also a former CDC physician. Ambler says he highly recommends people make sure their children get one of those pre-ordered doses.

"The vaccine will go a long way to making it possible for them to be comfortably attending school, comfortably attending after school activities, going to church, going to recreational activities on the weekends, and being able to mix with their family," says Amler.

State officials recommend parents asking their children's pediatricians if they'll be giving out the vaccine now - and start planning where they will go for the shot.

About 1.5 million kids across the state will become eligible all at once so appointments may fill up quickly.