The COVID-19 vaccine is now available for children under the age of 5. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for this age group, which includes infants over 6 months of age and babies of a toddler age (1-3). While the contents of the vaccine are the same as the adult vaccines, the dosage is more appropriate for children.
This approval serves as a milestone in the drawn-out COVID-19-induced pandemic. As an article published by International Community Health Services states, “According to the American Medical Association, since the beginning of the pandemic, among children in the U.S. aged 6 months to 4 years, there have been more than 2 million cases of COVID-19, more than 20,000 hospitalizations, and more than 200 deaths.”
The approval of the vaccine against COVID-19 provides new and stable protection for children against the virus.
The COVID-19 vaccines are free to all. For residents of Washington, the Washington State Department of Health offers a search engine that allows website visitors to enter their Washington zip code to find a COVID-19 vaccine distribution location near them.
International Community Health Services (ICHS) offers the vaccine and provides health care in various languages for non-English speakers. To schedule an appointment for someone under the age of 5 to receive the vaccine at ICHS, you can call 206-788-3700. For more information about COVID-19 vaccine availability and accessibility, visit the Center for Disease Control’s website.
