CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for the youngest children – Vermont Biz

Vaccines will be mainly available through pediatricians offices

Vermont Business Magazine On Saturday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended COVID-19 vaccines for children age 6 months through 5 years of age, paving the way for vaccinating the youngest Vermonters later this month.

This is very welcome news for the parents and caregivers who have been waiting for more than a year now for their young children to benefit from a COVID-19 vaccine, said Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD. Vaccines are the safer way to build protection against the virus and help prevent serious outcomes.

Both the Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been authorized for use. Providers will begin receiving the vaccines this week, but will have their own plans for administering them, so parents and caregivers should expect to hear from their childs pediatrician when they are ready to begin vaccinations.

Pediatricians are a trusted resource for parents, and they can answer questions and provide a familiar, comfortable setting for children to be vaccinated, Dr. Levine said.

There are about 26,000 children age 6 months through 4 years old in Vermont who will now be eligible for vaccination.

This is an important and welcomed step forward, said Governor Scott. Vermont has led the nation in vaccination uptake, especially among our youth. Im confident Vermont parents and caregivers will continue to step up in this new phase of our vaccination efforts.

The Health Department will also offer the vaccines at a limited number of walk-in clinics, including at equity-focused clinics. Information about clinics with vaccines for this age group will be updated athealthvermont.gov/KidsVaccineas soon as its available. There is no registration for these clinics. Families enrolled in WIC may also be able to get vaccinated through their local WIC office. Some pharmacies will also carry the vaccine, but can only vaccinate children age 3 and older.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is authorized to be given to children age 6 months through 4 years in two doses that are three weeks apart, followed by a third dose at least two months later. The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is authorized to be given to children 6 months through 5 years in two doses four weeks apart.

Pfizer doses are one-tenth the dosage given to adults, while the Moderna doses are one-fourth the dosage.

The vaccines were found to be safe, with side effects typically mild and temporary.

For more information visithealthvermont.gov/KidsVaccine.

Department of Health

We have been the state's public health agency for more than 130 years, working every day to protect and promote the health of Vermonters.

BURLINGTON, VT healthvermont.gov

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CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for the youngest children - Vermont Biz