COVID Vaccine Made Available To Children Under 5 In Fairfax County

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — COVID-19 vaccinations for children 6 months to 5 years old are now available from the Fairfax County Health Department and other providers.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices gave approvals last week for younger children to be vaccinated. Once the Virginia Department of Health gave approval, providers in Virginia were allowed to begin giving vaccinations for this younger age group.

"This is an important milestone in the pandemic as it is the first time that everyone in our community, ages 6 months and older, is eligible to be protected with life-saving vaccines," said Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, director of the Fairfax County Health Department. "Vaccinating babies, toddlers and young children will provide protection from the most severe outcomes of COVID-19."

There are two COVID-19 vaccines available for children 6 months to 4 years old. Pfizer's vaccine is one-tenth the adult dose and comes in a three-dose series. The first two doses are given three to eight weeks apart, and the third is given at least two months later. Pfizer also has a pediatric vaccine for children 5 to 11 and a vaccine for ages 12 and older.

Moderna's vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years old is a quarter of the adult dose and is a two-dose series. The second dose is given four to eight weeks after the first dose. Last week, the FDA also expanded Moderna’s vaccine authorization for school-aged children and teens. Moderna previously had approval for ages 18 and older.

According to the CDC, COVID-19 vaccines "have undergone—and will continue to undergo—the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history."

The Fairfax County Health Department noted while young children are at lower risk or severe illness or hospitalization from COVID-19, children infected with COVID-19 "can potentially become very ill, have short- and long-term health conditions, and spread COVID-19 to loved ones, and others at school and in the community."

According to the CDC, young children may have less side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine than teens and adults. Common side effects for children 4 and older, especially after the second dose, are pain in the arm where the shot was given, fever, tiredness, headache, chills, muscle or joint pain and swollen lymph nodes. Common side effects for children under 3 include pain where the shot was given, swollen lymph nodes, irritability or crying, sleepiness and loss of appetite.

Parents can contact their child's pediatrician to discuss vaccine availability or visit a Fairfax County Health Department site. Fairfax County Health Department sites at the Fairfax County Government Center and Gerry Hyland/South County Government Center will start to offer the vaccine for younger children on Tuesday. Appointments are not required.

Some pharmacies may also offer the Pfizer, Moderna or both vaccines for this younger group, but Virginia law limits pharmacists to only administering vaccines to children over 3. Families should contact individual pharmacies to confirm.

The Fairfax County Health Department serves Fairfax County, towns of Vienna, Herndon and Clifton, and cities of Falls Church and Fairfax. Questions about COVID-19 vaccines can be directed to the Fairfax County Health Department call center Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 703-324-7404.