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NC Gov. Cooper may address kids’ COVID vaccines today. How to watch the briefing.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper will hold a press conference today to provide an update on the state’s progress in slowing the spread of the coronavirus. He is expected to address the availability of COVID-19 vaccines for kids under the age of 12.

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services has said Nov. 5 is the earliest date the state would begin to administer Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine with the appropriate dosage for children ages 5 to 11.

Before that happens, the FDA Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will do another independent review of the safety and effectiveness data regarding Pfizer’s application for Emergency Use Authorization. That is expected to happen on Nov. 3.

ACIP will make a recommendation to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after that review. The FDA must issue an Emergency Use Authorization and the ACIP must issue guidance before any vaccines are given in the state.

Cooper will appear at today’s press conference with NCDHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen.

How to watch Gov. Cooper’s press conference

Today’s news briefing will start at 2 p.m.

The briefing can be streamed live at ncdps.gov/news-conference. It will be delivered in English, Spanish and American Sign Language.

In the Triangle area, news stations ABC11, CBS 17 and WRAL will televise the press conference, but typically switch to streaming for the Q&A portion. Spectrum News usually airs the entire press conference. Those outlets, along with PBS NC, will also stream the briefing on their websites and news apps.

The governor’s office also shares the livestreams on his official Twitter and Facebook accounts.

If you can’t watch or stream, you can listen live on WPTF radio, on 680 AM and 98.5 FM.