OLYMPIA—Across the state, more than 129,000 children ages 5 through 11 have received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine since eligibility expanded to include younger kids Nov. 3. Vaccinating children is a crucial step forward as we work to stop the spread of COVID-19 and end the pandemic.

“While COVID-19 is often milder in children than adults, children can still get very sick and spread the disease to family and friends, which is an even bigger concern as people gather this holiday season,” said Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, Secretary of Health. “As a father, knowi...