Today, CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, endorsed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendation that all children ages 6 months to 5 years should receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This expands immunization eligibility to nearly 20 million additional children and means all Americans ages 6 months and older are now eligible for vaccination.
Parents and caregivers can now have their children aged 6 months to 5 years vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines to better protect them from COVID-19. All children, including children who already have COVID-19, should be vaccinated.
COVID-19 vaccines have been, and will continue to be, subjected to the most intense security surveillance in U.S. history. Parents and caregivers can play an active role in monitoring the safety of these vaccines by enrolling their children in v-safe — personalized and confidential health checks via text messages and web surveys that allow them to easily tell CDC how a child is feeling afterwards get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Distribution of pediatric vaccines for these younger children has begun across the country and will be available this week at thousands of pediatric surgeries, pharmacies, state-qualified health centers, local health departments, clinics and other locations. Children in this younger age group can be vaccinated with any available vaccine (either Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech). Parents can contact their doctor, nurse, local pharmacy, or health department, or visit impfen.gov to see where vaccines for children are available.
The following is CDC Director Dr. Attributed to Rochelle P. Walensky:
“Together with the science at the forefront, we have taken another important step forward in our nation’s fight against COVID-19. We know millions of parents and carers are anxious to get their young children vaccinated and today’s decision enables them to do so. I encourage parents and carers to contact their doctor, nurse or local pharmacist with any questions they may have to learn more about the benefits of vaccination and the importance of protecting their children through vaccination.”