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Breaking News!
Covid-19 Boosters are now available to ages 5 and older!

Vaccines and booster shots for everyone over 5 years old is good news! Vaccines and booster shots can help you and your child avoid getting very sick or dying from COVID-19. Don't wait, make a plan and get your child vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible.

If you have any concerns about if your child should get a COVID-19 vaccine, ask your doctor.

If you have any questions about how to get a vaccine for your child, you can call the SC Disability Vaccine Access Hotline at 1-800-787-6046

Covid-19 Vaccines & Boosters
for Children 5 years and older

Why should I care about booster shots for kids?

The COVID-19 booster shot is a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine that will make sure your first round of vaccine is strong for a longer amount of time. This can help protect your child from getting very sick and going to the hospital. This can also help protect your child from "long COVID."

  • Everyone 5 years old and up needs a booster shot. 
    • Right now, anyone 5 years and older can get the Pfizer booster shot.
    • You should wait at least five months after their vaccine to take your kid to get the booster.

Who can get COVID-19 vaccines & booster shots?

Right now, there are free COVID-19 vaccines and boosters for every person in the United States over the age of 5. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone ages 5 years and older get a COVID-19 vaccination and booster shot!

As of May 19, 2022, these are the vaccines that children can get:

  • Children & Teens 5-17 years old can get the Pfizer vaccine & booster shot.
  • Everyone ages 18 and older can get the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccines & booster shots.

The Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11 years old has the same ingredients, but it has a smaller dose. Just like everyone else, children 5-11 can get their second dose 21 days after the first, and booster 5 months later.

What if my child turns 12 years old between shots?

In this situation, their next shot should be the Pfizer vaccine for people ages 12 years and older. 

But if your child gets the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11 for their next shot, that’s okay. They don’t need to repeat the shot.

Talk to your doctor to ensure your child is getting the right shot and dose.

Light blue colored box with a quote inside that reads, 'As a kid with a disability, why did you get the COVID-19 vaccine? 'To protect my mommy and because I like to sit close to my friends. Carter Tissot' Picture to the right of Carter, a young white boy with blonde hair wearing a black facemask. His shirt sleeve is rolled up showing his green band aid from his vaccination.

Carter is a child with an intellectual and developmental disability, and proud of it! His parents got his permission to share his photo and quote. Respect your child's right to privacy and right to advocacy, and always ask permission before sharing their image and words.

My child/teen has a weak immune system. I heard they can get an additional dose. What is that?

An additional dose is different from a booster shot. If your disability causes a weakened immune system, you may need a third dose in your primary mRNA vaccine series. Additional doses are meant to improve your immune system’s response to the COVID-19 vaccine. This additional dose is available for people 5 years and older with weakened immune systems. Talk to your doctor or trusted medical professional to learn if an additional dose is right for you.

People, including children, with weakened immune systems should get:

  • Primary Vaccine Series:
    • Pfizer for ages 5 and up
    • Moderna for ages 18 and up
      • Dose 1
      • Dose 2
      • Dose 3 (“additional dose”)
    • Booster Shots:
      • Pfizer for ages 5 and up
      • Moderna for ages 18 and up
        • First Booster Shot
        • Second Booster Shot

Do parents need to give permission for their children to get a COVID-19 vaccine?

In South Carolina, teens ages 16 or older can get a vaccine without permission from a parent or legal guardian. Children who are 5-15 years old need a parent or legal guardian to sign a consent form. Vaccine providers will provide the consent form.

Why does my child need a COVID-19 vaccine?

Like adults, children can get very sick from COVID-19. All people, with and without disabilities, could experience long COVID if you get COVID-19. Children with disabilities are at greater risk of becoming very sick or even dying from COVID-19. Getting their COVID-19 vaccine can help protect them.

It is also still very important that the people near your child get their vaccines too. The vaccine protects everyone by helping stop the spread of severe sickness:

  • If the people your child comes into contact with are vaccinated and boosted, your child is better protected.
  • You may have a disability. If your child is vaccinated and boosted they are better protected from getting sick, which means you are better protected from getting sick.

What is my child’s risk of getting very sick from COVID-19? 

  • COVID-19 can cause your child to get very sick. It is possible that your child could go to the hospital because of COVID-19. It is also possible that your child could die from COVID-19.
  • COVID-19 is now one of the top ten causes of childhood death.
  • Children with disabilities are at even greater risk of becoming very sick or childhood death from COVID-19. 
  • Even if your child has a mild case of COVID-19, they can still have serious long-term health issues after, including long COVID.

COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are safe for children & teens over age 5. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine for yourself and your child can protect you both.

What about children under 5 years old?

As of May 20,2022, there are no COVID-19 vaccines available for children under 5.

Many parents feel overwhelmed, upset, and frustrated. That is okay, but there is hope. 

Scientists are getting more data to make sure that the vaccine is effective for children ages 6 months to 5 years old. The FDA is going to review that data in June! 

Even though children under 5 cannot get COVID-19 vaccines right now, we can all do our part to protect them. 

What can you do to help protect your child under 5 years old from COVID-19 & long COVID? 

  • Children over 2 years old can wear a mask, like these
    • Children can wear KN95s and KN94 masks
  • Wash your child's hands often
  • Get your child tested by a medical professional for COVID-19 if they show any signs of sickness
  • Get your child tested by a medical professional for COVID-19 if they have been around someone with COVID-19
    • You must get your child tested by a medical professional if they are under 2 years old. At-home rapid tests are not made for children under 2.

Adults and anyone over age 5 can protect children under 5 by:

  • Wearing a quality N95 or KN95 mask
  • Washing your hands
  • Getting your vaccine
  • Getting your booster shot if you are old enough
  • Get tested for COVID-19 if you feel sick
  • Get tested for COVID-19 if you have been around someone with COVID-19
Light blue colored box with a quote inside that reads, 'Should kids get vaccinated for COVID-19? Yes! Everyone 5 years old and up should get vaccinated and boosted!' Picture to the right of a young child with brown skin and long curly hair receiving their vaccine while wearing a facemask. Person giving the vaccine is a Black woman with hair pulled in a bun, wearing a facemask, white lab coat, and purple gloves.
 

Make your vaccination & booster plan today

The SC Disability Vaccine Access Network is here to help reduce barriers to vaccine access. Learn more about how to make an appointment at SCDisabilityVaccine.org or call us at 1-800-787-6046 for more information.

Footer with “SC Disability Vaccine Access Network” and partner logos below. From left to right: Able SC, AccessAbility, Disability Rights South Carolina, Walton Options, UofSC Center for Disability Resources, South Carolina Developmental Disabilities Council.”

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (May 19, 2022). CDC Strengthens Recommendations and Expands Eligibility for COVID-19 Booster Shots. CDC. Retrieved May 20, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0519-covid-booster-acip.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, November 22). Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines for Children. CDC. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/children-facts.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, January 7). COVID-19 Vaccines for Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised People. CDC. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/immuno.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, January 11). COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens. CDC. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/children-teens.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, January 11). Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination in Children. CDC. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq-children.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, February 2). COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots. CDC. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html

Christensen, J., Goodman, B., & Gumbrecht, J. (2022, February 14). Covid-19 vaccine authorization for younger children delayed as FDA seeks more data. CNN. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/11/health/fda-postpones-covid-19-kid-vaccine-meeting/index.html

Mayo Clinic. (2021, November 12). Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and COVID-19 - Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mis-c-in-kids-covid-19/symptoms-causes/syc-20502550

Pfizer BioNTech. (2022, January 3). Fact Sheet for Recipients - Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for 5 - 11 Years of Age. US Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://www.fda.gov/media/153717/download

Sable, B. (2022, January 27). Parents with kids too young for vaccines or rapid tests feel forgotten and alone : Shots - Health News. NPR. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/01/27/1072522956/vaccinate-and-test-that-advice-isnt-much-help-to-parents-who-have-kids-under-5

SC Department of Health and Environmental Control. (n.d.). COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids 5 and Older. SCDHEC. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://scdhec.gov/covid19/covid-19-vaccine/covid-19-vaccines-kids-12-older

www.SCDisabilityVaccine.org

Contact our Vaccine Access Helpline at 1-800-787-6046.

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