PEDIATRIC BIVALENT BOOSTER DOSE FOR 3-5 YEAR OLDS
The CDC has updated the COVID-19 vaccination guidance to include the following:
- A new recommendation for children ages 6 months to 4 years who have completed a Moderna primary vaccination series to receive 1 bivalent Moderna booster dose at least 2 months after completion of the primary series
- Children age 5 years who complete a Moderna primary series may receive either the previously authorized bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech booster dose or the newly authorized bivalent Moderna booster dose at least 2 months after completion of the Moderna primary series
- The previously authorized 3 dose Pfizer-BioNTech primary series for children ages 6 months to 4 years has been revised to include a monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is administered for the first and second doses, followed by 1 bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as the third primary series dose at least 8 weeks after the second monovalent primary series dose.
- A booster dose is not authorized for children in this age group who received a Pfizer-BioNTech 3 dose primary series, including children who previously received a 3 dose monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech primary series.
PEDIATRIC BIVALENT BOOSTER DOSE FOR 5-11 YEAR OLDS
On October 12, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for the Moderna and Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccines to allow for a single bivalent booster dose in younger age groups, at least two months following completion of primary or booster vaccination. The Moderna bivalent booster is authorized for administration in children 6 years of age and older. The Pfizer bivalent booster is authorized for administration in children 5-11 years of age and is a different product than the Pfizer bivalent booster for individuals 12 years of age and older.
COVID-19 VACCINE FOR PEDIATRIC PATIENTS 6 MONTHS THROUGH 17 YEARS OF AGE
All people ages 6 months and older can now receive either Pfizer OR Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for their primary series.
On June 18th, 2022 CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., endorsed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation that all children 6 months through 5 years of age should receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This expands eligibility for vaccination to nearly 20 million additional children and means that all Americans ages 6 months and older are now eligible for vaccination.
Young children are at risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and the risk is similar or higher than for other pediatric vaccine preventable disease. Since January 2020, 202 children ages 6 months to 4 years have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. and COVID-19 is among the top five leading cause of death for children under 5 years of age. Since March 1, 2020, more than two million children ages 6 months to 4 years have been infected with COVID-19. During the winter Omicron wave (December 2021-May 2022), the rate of hospitalization for children ages 6 months to 4 years exceeded the rate of hospitalizations for children ages 5 to 11 years and 12 to 17 years. Overall, more than half of hospitalized children ages 6 months to 4 years had no underlying conditions. Efficacy, immunogenicity and safety data from clinical trials of Moderna and Pfizer demonstrated that the benefits outweigh the risks for both vaccines in this age group.
Parents and caregivers can now get their children 6 months through 5 years of age vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines to better protect them from COVID-19. All children, including children who have already had COVID-19, should get vaccinated.
COVID-19 vaccines have undergone—and will continue to undergo—the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. Parents and caregivers can play an active role in monitoring the safety of these vaccines by signing their children up for v-safe – personalized and confidential health check-ins via text messages and web surveys where they can easily share with CDC how a child feels after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Neergaard Pharmacy is now offering COVID-19 vaccine for all patients 3 years of age and older ONLY.
There are currently 13 COVID-19 vaccines available for use in the United States. Neergaard Pharmacy offers all 12 vaccine formulations:
- Moderna Monovalent primary series - for ages 12 years and older
- Moderna Bivalent booster dose - for ages 12 years and older
- Moderna Monovalent primary series - for ages 6 years to 11 years
- Moderna Bivalent booster dose - for ages 6 years to 11 years
- Moderna Monovalent primary series - for ages 3 years to 5 years
- Moderna Bivalent booster dose - for ages 3 years to 5 years
- Pfizer Monovalent primary series - for ages 12 years and older
- Pfizer Bivalent booster dose - for ages 12 years and older
- Pfizer Monovalent primary series - for ages 5 years to 11 years
- Pfizer Bivalent booster dose - for ages 5 years to 11 years
- Pfizer Monovalent primary series - for ages 3 years to 4 years
- Pfizer Bivalent booster dose - for ages 3 years to 4 years
- Novavax - for ages 12 years and older
Which COVID-19 vaccine can my child receive at Neergaard Pharmacy?
Neergaard Pharmacy providers can only provide service to patients ages 3 years of age and older. If your child is under 3 years of age, please contact your pediatrician to find another provider to administer the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Patients ages 3 to 4 years old: They may receive the Pfizer (for ages 6 months to 4 years) vaccine.
- Patients ages 5 to 11 years old: They may receive the Pfizer (for ages 5 to 11) vaccine.
- Patients ages 5 to 11 years old: They may receive the Pfizer Bivalent booster dose vaccine (for ages 5 to 11 years).
- Patients ages 12 years of age and older: They may receive the Pfizer (for ages 12 and older) vaccine.
- Patients ages 3 years of age and older: They may receive the Pfizer Bivalent booster dose (age appropriate) vaccine.
- Patients 3 to 5 years old: They may receive the Moderna (for ages 6 months to 5 years) vaccine.
- Patients 6 to 11 years old: They may receive the Moderna (for ages 6 to 11 years) vaccine.
- Patients 6 to 11 years old: They may receive the Moderna Bivalent booster dose vaccine (for ages 6 to 11 years).
- Patients ages 12 years and older: They may receive the Moderna (for ages 12 and older) vaccine.
- Patients ages 3 years and older: They may receive the Moderna Bivalent booster dose (age appropriate) vaccine.
- Patients ages 12 years and older: They may receive the Novavax vaccine as a primary vaccination series only.
The upper limit of any vaccine age range includes the entire year until a patient’s next birthday. Some examples include:
- A 4-year-old child is officially 4 until their fifth birthday. On their fifth birthday, they will be eligible for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds.
- An 11-year-old child is officially 11 until their twelfth birthday. On their twelfth birthday, they will be eligible for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 12-year-olds and older.
Who is eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster or second booster dose?
- Everyone ages 3 years and older is eligible for a booster dose
Neergaard Pharmacy providers can administer first and second booster doses just like any other COVID-19 vaccine dose. Please bring your vaccination card with you so it can be updated with your booster information. Your provider will ensure that the timing of your booster dose aligns with the CDC Vaccine Schedule.
What is the Pfizer BioNTech dose for children 3 to 4 years of age?
The vaccine is administered as intramuscularly as a primary series of 3 doses (0.2 mL each). The initial 2 doses are administered 3 weeks to 8 weeks apart followed by a Pfizer-BioNTech Bivalent Booster dose administered at least 8 weeks after the 2nd dose in individuals 6 months through 4 years of age.
For more information, visit https://www.fda.gov/media/159313/download
What is the Moderna pediatric dose for children 3 to 5 years of age?
The vaccine is administered intramuscularly as a primary series of 2 doses (0.25 mL each). The two doses are administered 4 weeks to 8 weeks apart in individuals 6 months through 5 years of age.
For more information, visit https://www.fda.gov/media/159307/download
What is the Pfizer BioNTech pediatric dose for children 5 to 11 years of age?
The vaccine is administered intramuscularly as a primary series of 2 doses (0.2 mL each). The two doses are administered 21 days apart in individuals 5 to 11 years of age.
For more information, visit https://labeling.pfizer.com/ShowLabeling.aspx?id=16074&format=pdf
What is the Moderna pediatric dose for children 6 to 11 years of age?
The vaccine is administered intramuscularly as a primary series of 2 doses (0.5 mL each). The two doses are administered 4 weeks to 8 weeks apart in individuals 6 to 11 years of age.
For more information, visit https://www.fda.gov/media/159310/download
What is the dose if my child is moderately to severely immunocompromised?
For moderately to severly immunocompromised children, the CDC recommends following the minimum interval for administration of the second dose (i.e., 4 weeks for Moderna or 3 weeks for Pfizer). For immunocompromised children who receive Moderna, a third dose should be administered at least 4 weeks after the second dose to complete a three-dose primary series. Immunocompromised children who recieve Pfizer should receive the standard three-dose primary series regimen and not receive an additional dose.
What common side effects did children 6 months to 5 years of age experience after receiving the Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna vaccine for that age group?
For both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, local and systemic adverse reactions were mostly mild to moderate and lasted a few days. The most common side effects are headache, fatigue, irritability, sleepiness, pain or tenderness at the injection site and fever. There were no cases of myocarditis, pericarditis or vaccine-associated anaphylaxis.
Though most children do not get nearly as sick from Covid as adults, they are still affected by the disease. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been more than 1.9 million Covid cases, more than 8,300 hospitalizations and 94 deaths due to Covid among children ages 5 to 11 in the United States.
Vaccination, along with other preventative measures, can protect children from COVID-19 using the safe and effective vaccines already recommended for use in adolescents and adults in the United States. Similar to what was seen in adult vaccine trials, vaccination was nearly 91 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 among children aged 5-11 years. In clinical trials, vaccine side effects were mild, self-limiting, and similar to those seen in adults and with other vaccines recommended for children. The most common side effect was a sore arm.
In clinical trials, myocarditis and/or pericarditis have occurred rarely in some people following receipt of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, typically within a few days following receipt of the second dose. This risk is highest in males ages 12-29 years of age. This risk of myocarditis or pericarditis after receipt of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is lower than the risk of myocarditis associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in adolescents and adults.
Data from clinical trials in children 5-11 years old indicate that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can be given safely to those with evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. Growing epidemiologic evidence from adults and adolescents indicates that vaccination following infection increases protection from subsequent infections, including in the setting of highly infectious variants such as Delta.
Proof of age should be requested but is not required where the parent or guardian is available to attest to the minor’s age.
Documentary proof may include (but is not limited to):
• Driver’s license or non-driver ID
• Birth certificate issued by a state or local government
• Consulate ID
• Current U.S passport or valid foreign passport
• Permanent resident card
• Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship
• Life insurance policy with birthdate
• Parent/Guardian attestation
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