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Families can now schedule Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinations for children age 6 months to 4 years by appointment only at specific vaccine clinics. This is in response to the Food and Drug Administration granting emergency use authorization for this age group on Friday, June 17, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsing it on Saturday, June 18.
“Vaccines for children in this age group have been proven to help prevent symptomatic COVID-19 infection and severe illness,” says J. Nathan Hagstrom, MD, Chief of Pediatrics at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital. “While children are less likely to be severely affected by COVID-19 than individuals in other age groups, some become very ill and need to be hospitalized. These latest vaccines allow us to protect some of our youngest children and keep them on track for a happy and healthy childhood.”
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine series is a three-shot regimen, with each dose being one-tenth the dose of the vaccine given to adults. Children receiving the vaccine series are given the first two doses three weeks apart and a third at least two months later.
Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) will be hosting two sets of appointment-only vaccine clinics for this specific age group at the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic–MacArthur Road.
During these clinics, children can receive their first, second or third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The clinics have been scheduled in a way that allows children who attend all three dates in a set to complete their full vaccine series:
There are two easy ways to schedule appointments at these clinics:
The vaccines for this age group will also be available at most Lehigh Valley Physician Group (LVPG) Pediatrics practices in the coming weeks if your child cannot attend some or all the clinic dates in either set listed above.
Most side effects reported in this younger age group are mild and resolve completely within two days. They include:
It’s completely normal for your child to experience these side effects, but if you have any questions, it is best to reach out to your child’s pediatrician or family medicine physician for support.
