Updated Pfizer COVID Vaccine Now Available As Booster For Certain Children: Fairfax Co.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — The Fairfax County Health Department reminded residents this week that the updated bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 is now available as a booster dose for certain children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years who completed their primary series of three doses.

In March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization of the bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to provide for a single booster dose of the vaccine in children between the ages 6 months and 4 years at least two months after completion of primary vaccination with three doses of the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

In the Fairfax Health District, only 13 percent of children under 5 years old have completed their primary vaccine series, and about 2 percent of children in that age group have received an updated booster dose, the health department said.

Everyone 6 months and older is encouraged to stay up to date and get the most recent booster dose recommended for them to prevent the worst outcomes from COVID-19, even if they have already had COVID-19, the health department said.

“Young children infected with COVID-19 can get very sick, have both short- and long-term health problems, and spread COVID-19 to others,” the Fairfax County Health Department said. “COVID-19 vaccines teach the body’s immune system how to respond to the virus. Over time, and when new variants emerge, the protection from the vaccine can decrease. A booster dose helps restore that protection.”

READ ALSO: Updated COVID Boosters For VA Kids As Young As 6 Months Now Available

Before authorizing or approving COVID-19 vaccines for both children and adults, scientists conducted clinical trials to establish their safety and effectiveness, and they continue to be monitored, the health department emphasized.

The CDC has information online that explains how parents and caregivers should prepare children for getting a vaccine.

For the booster dose, as noted by the FDA, children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years old can receive a single booster dose of the updated vaccine at least two months after completing the primary series of three doses of the original vaccine.

Children in this age group who received the updated vaccine as the third dose of their primary series are not eligible for a booster dose, the Fairfax County Health Department noted.

According to the health department, children who received the original Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as their first two doses of their primary series began receiving the updated vaccine as the third dose in their primary series in December 2022.

Parents and caregivers can contact their doctor about getting vaccinated, or search on vaccines.gov to find a location. Most pharmacy locations only vaccinate children aged 3 or older.

If parents are unable to find a COVID-19 vaccine, they can call the Fairfax County Call Center at 703-267-3511 to make an appointment at a health department district office clinic.