COVID Vaccine Made Available To Children Under 5 In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — COVID-19 vaccinations for children 6 months to 5 years old are now available from the Alexandria 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.

"We at [Virginia Department of Health] are pleased to begin offering this vaccine to parents who want to protect their youngest children from severe illness and hospitalization due to this virus," said Christy Gray, the state vaccination coordinator and director of the Virginia Department of Health’s Division of Immunization. "There are a variety of venues open to Virginia parents to vaccinate their children, including community vaccination events set up by local health departments, pharmacies and, of course, pediatrician’s offices. We urge parents to consult with their child’s healthcare provider about vaccination."

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 vaccine for children 5 to 11 as well as an adult dose 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 beyond adults to school-aged children and teens as well.

A CDC statement says COVID-19 vaccines "have undergone—and will continue to undergo—the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history." 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 an Alexandria Health Department site. Some pharmacies may also offer the Pfizer, Moderna or both vaccines for this younger group, but Virginia law limits pharmacists to only administering vaccines for children 3 or older. Families should contact individual pharmacies to confirm.

Below are some of the upcoming vaccine clinics for children 6 months to ages 4 or 5. Click on the links to schedule an appointment. For more upcoming availability, continue to check www.alexandriava.gov/Vaccines.

Thursday, June 23, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Alexandria Health Department, 4480 King Street, 2nd Floor Clinic, Alexandria, VA 22302

• First Dose - Pfizer Vaccine - Ages 6 Months through 4 Years Old
• First Dose - Moderna Vaccine - Ages 6 Months through 5 Years Old

Saturday, June 25, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Alexandria Health Department, 4480 King Street, 2nd Floor Clinic, Alexandria, VA 22302

• First Dose - Pfizer Vaccine - Ages 6 Months through 4 Years Old
• First Dose - Moderna Vaccine - Ages 6 Months through 5 Years Old

Saturday, June 25, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Red Sea Homecare Agency clinic, Dr. Gulam, Pediatrics Internationale, 5212 Dawes Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22311

• Pfizer Vaccine - Ages 6 Months through 4 Years Old