LVHN to Begin Vaccinating Children Ages 12-15 With the Pfizer Vaccine on May 13

NOTE: The following information was published May 12, 2021. For current information, visit LVHN.org/vaccines.

Beginning Thursday, May 13, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) will offer the Pfizer vaccine to children ages 12-15 at all COVID-19 vaccine locations, pending the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s approval today, Wednesday, May 12. Starting today, LVHN is opening scheduling for Thursday and beyond.

“We at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital are encouraging parents to get their child vaccinated for their safety, as well as the safety of their family,” says J. Nathan Hagstrom, MD, Chief of Pediatrics at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital. “The Pfizer vaccine has emergency use authorization for ages 12 and older and has been proven safe and effective. The clinical trial data submitted to the Food and Drug Administration demonstrated 100 percent effectiveness at preventing disease in this age group, which now represents nearly 20 percent of current COVID-19 infections.”

Anyone under the age of 18 will need to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to get vaccinated. The COVID-19 vaccinations provided by LVHN are free.

More options to receive your vaccine

People can visit one of these five convenient locations with or without an appointment:

1. COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic–Northampton Crossings

2. COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic–Pocono

3. COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic–Hazleton

4. COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic–Schuylkill

5. COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic–MacArthur Road

For those who wish to make an appointment, scheduling for any of our vaccine clinics is easier than ever:

Two easy ways to schedule:

1. Go to MyLVHN, the health network’s patient portal.
   Sign In 

2. Call our COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline at 833-584-6283 (833-LVHN-CVD). The COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Your child and side effects

The pediatricians at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital offer the following guidance for parents:

• Common side effects of the vaccine are pain, redness and swelling in the arm where you received the shot, as well as fatigue, tiredness, mild headache, muscle pain, chills, fever and nausea.

• These side effects can affect your child’s ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days.

• In children and adolescents, these side effects may be more common with the first dose than typically seen in adults. 

• You may want to give your child acetaminophen four times a day for the first one to two days at the appropriate dosing after receiving the vaccine.

• Please don’t take ibuprofen or acetaminophen before receiving the vaccine. 

• To reduce pain and discomfort where your child got the shot, apply a cool, wet cloth to the spot on the arm where the shot was given.

• Drinking lots of fluids and wearing light clothing can help when there is a fever. 

After receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, safety precautions should still be followed per the latest CDC guidelines, including when a mask should be worn, washing your hands frequently and staying socially distant until the majority of our community is vaccinated.