SLO County kids under 5 can soon get COVID vaccines. Here’s when
After months of anticipation, San Luis Obispo County families were given the green light to vaccinate children under 5 against the coronavirus.
A child must be at least 6 months old in order to be vaccinated, according to a news release from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
Two COVID-19 vaccine options are available for SLO County children younger than 5 years old according to a news release from the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department.
“I hope this news brings comfort and relief to the parents in our community who have been trying to protect their children from COVID-19 without the layer of defense provided by a vaccine,” said Dr. Christy Mulkerin, pediatrician with the SLO County health agency. “If you have questions about the vaccine, your pediatrician is a great resource for getting the answers and information you need.”
The Moderna vaccine series for kids under 5 is two doses while the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine series is three doses, according to the SLO County release.
Both vaccine series feature smaller doses of the vaccines that have been provided to more than 200 million people in the United States, the release said.
The COVID-19 vaccine series for children under 5 years old has received the stamp of approval from leading health agencies, including the United States Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup.
All three agencies are now formally recommending the vaccine for children under 5.
SLO County Public Health officials said large-scale clinical trials were conducted for both vaccines, with side effects similar to those experienced by adults, including arm soreness, fatigue or fever that lasted a day or two, the release said.
Families can take their little ones to get vaccinated at their pediatrician’s office, Public Health clinics and some local pharmacies in the coming weeks, the release said.
Appointments can be scheduled online beginning Tuesday at VaccineFinder.org or MyTurn.ca.gov, the release said.
Are older children getting vaccinated against COVID-19?
The vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 was approved in October 2021, but parents of elementary school-aged children have been slower to vaccinate in SLO County.
In February, the vaccination rate for this age group was only at 23%, according to local health data cited in a past Tribune report.
“That is just really disturbing,” SLO County Public Health Officer Dr. Borenstein previously told The Tribune.
Data show that number has changed in the past four months, but not by too much.
Roughly 33% of elementary school-aged children in San Luis Obispo County are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of June 16, according to local health data.
More than 10 million children ages 5 to 11 have received the COVID-19 vaccine nationwide, according to a Public Health news release.
This story was originally published June 20, 2022 at 3:58 PM.
