Kids Under 5 Get COVID-19 Vaccine At Cohen Children's Medical Center

NEW HYDE PARK, NY — Five young children on Long Island got the newly approved pediatric COVID-19 shot on Wednesday, marking another milestone in the nation's fight against a disease that's killed more than one million people.

All under the age of 5, these children are part of the last group to become eligible for vaccination. They got their jab at Cohen Children's Medical Center after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for kids as young as 6 months old.

Receiving their vaccine on Wednesday were: Kevin Lazarus, 4, of Jackson Heights, Queens; Josie Welles, 2, of New York City, Jackie Katzow, 2 ½, of Brooklyn; Luca Moore, 11 months, of Astoria, Queens; and Oliver Harris.

They were accompanied by their parents and grandfather, who are all pediatricians at Cohen Children's.

The child-size Moderna vaccine is authorized for children between 6 months and five years old. It's administered in two doses and given four weeks apart.

Pfizer's is for kids between 6 months and 4 years of age. It takes three shots to be fully vaccinated. The first two shots are given three weeks apart. The final dose is administered eight weeks after the second dose.

Overall, COVID-19 vaccines have been deemed safe and effective. Yet, there are parents who are still hesistant to vaccinate their young children against the disease. Some say there's not enough research or information about these shots, while others believe the risk of infection is negligible.

But Dr. Sophia Jan, chief of general pediatrics at Cohen Children's, says vaccinating young children plays a critical role in helping the world get back to normal.

"Being vaccinated at this time further ensures that our children and their families can enjoy the summer months with greater confidence in their safety," she said. "This means that 20 million additional American children can be vaccinated, an important step in getting our world back to normal by lowering COVID rates across the region and world."