Vaccine shots now available for kids under 5 years old in Alexandria

Alexandria health providers are now offering the COVID-19 vaccine to children under five years of age, according to the Alexandria Health Department.

According to AHD:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for this age group and accepted the recommendation of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which met on June 17 and 18 to review administration and safety data for the vaccine. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the vaccines’ Emergency Use Authorization last week to include doses and vaccine schedules for children between six months and five years of age. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is for ages six months – four years and is three doses, with three weeks between the first and second dose, and eight weeks between the second and third dose. The Moderna vaccine is for ages six months – five years and is two doses separated by four weeks.

Parents and guardians in Alexandria have multiple locations to choose from when getting their youngest vaccinated, including AHD vaccine clinics, pharmacies (for ages three and up), and pediatricians’ offices. Minors are not able to consent to immunizations, so a parent or guardian must consent either in advance or at the vaccination site, depending on the provider. Vaccine appointments for this age group at AHD clinics will be posted on a rolling basis, and parents and guardians are encouraged to contact their children’s healthcare provider/pediatrician to see if their office is providing COVID-19 vaccines for this group.

Appointments are required at this time.

In the meantime, two more residents have died from the virus, bringing the death toll to 191. The number of reported cases has reached 36,369, and the seven-day rate for new cases is 68.7, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

Last month, AHD announced the availability of booster shots for kids ages five to 11.

Vaccinated in Alexandria

• About 78% of residents (119,667 people) are fully vaccinated
• 86% (131,739 people) of residents got at least one dose
• 65,283 residents got booster shots
• There are 22,141 unvaccinated Alexandria residents

Alexandria’s two-and-a-half-year-long state of emergency will expire on June 30..