Beginning Monday, Dec. 19, young children will have access to stronger protection against COVID-19 in the Coastal Health District. The FDA and CDC have approved the reformulated Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for ages 6 months and older. Previously, the updated vaccines were only available for ages 5 and up.
Appointments for the bivalent vaccines are available in all 8 counties of the Coastal Health District and can be scheduled online at chdcovidvax.org or by calling your local health department directly.
The reformulated vaccines are called “bivalent” because they target more than one variant of COVID. The vaccines target the original strain of the COVID-19 virus plus two omicron subvariants, which means better protection against more recent versions of the virus.
The bivalent vaccine manufactured by Pfizer is authorized as a booster dose for individuals aged 5 and older, and as a third dose for individuals aged 6 months – 4 years. The bivalent vaccine by Moderna is authorized as a booster dose for individuals 6 months of age and older.
For more information about the COVID vaccines offered by the health department in your county, visit chdcovidvax.org. Parents with questions about COVID vaccines for children are encouraged to talk to their child’s pediatrician or to their local health department.
