Comprehensive clinical trials in more than 4,500 children ages 5-11 demonstrate that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective in this age group, resulting in a strong antibody response in children who received the vaccine. There’s consistent and real-world evidence of the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness. The vaccine has been given safely to millions of youth since it was authorized for ages 16 and up in December 2020 and for ages 12 and up in May 2020. Yes. Children are susceptible to COVID-19 and, in some cases, to serious complications from the virus and will benefit from the protection given by the COVID-19 vaccine. Children can also spread the virus to others, including more vulnerable members of our family and community, such as grandparents and those with compromised immune systems. We are also learning from antibody studies that children are also infected about as often as adults. Getting our eligible youth vaccinated protects them from COVID-19 illness, helps keep our schools and communities safe, and protects our loved ones who are at higher risk of severe disease or death. Families with children ages 5-11 can now protect their children from COVID-19 following the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) emergency use authorization of a lower dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendation for use in children ages 5-11. It was also reviewed and approved by the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup. Vaccination for 5–11-year-olds represents a significant turning point in our fight against COVID-19 and gets us closer to achieving full family protection against this deadly virus. Children ages 5-11 are NOW eligible to receive their COVID-19 vaccine. Please call (855) 922-6325 to schedule an appointment for your child today. Children and adolescents ages 5 and over will need the consent of a parent or legal guardian in order to be vaccinated. Families can call (855) 922-6325 to find out what acceptable forms of consent, including in-person consent, a signed written note, or a phone call with verbal consent will be needed. California’s K-12 safety measures – including universal masking indoors, robust testing measures, and rigorous contact tracing – have successfully curbed the spread of COVID-19 in our schools. Vaccines are how we slow the spread of COVID-19 and end the pandemic. The COVID-19 vaccine provides excellent protection and enables fully vaccinated students to remain in school and avoid interruption to in-person education. COVID-19 vaccine trials began with older, more vulnerable populations and then extended to younger ages. This phased eligibility approach balances the need for both safety and speed. Comprehensive clinical trials in more than 4,500 children ages 5-11 and millions vaccinated to date demonstrate the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective in this age group, resulting in a strong antibody response in children who received the vaccines. Yes. It’s very important for children with underlying conditions to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Many conditions and chronic illnesses increase the risk of severe disease. Allergic reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine are rare and very few people have had severe adverse reactions. But — if your child has allergic reactions to the flu vaccine or other severe allergies, you should report that to their healthcare provider before they receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Parents or guardians should consult their child’s healthcare provider to discuss any concerns — including underlying conditions or previous allergic reactions — prior to vaccination. If you have any additional questions, please call (855) 922-6325 today. The COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 contains a smaller dosage (one-third) that has been given safely to millions of youth since it was authorized for ages 16 and up in December 2020 and for ages 12 and up in May 2020. The dosage of Pfizer’s 5-11 vaccine is in two, 10-micrograms (mcg) doses administered 21 days apart. This dosage is one-third of the adolescent and adult dose of two, 30-mcg doses. The clinical trials demonstrated a robust antibody response and favorable safety outcomes in kids ages 5-11 who received the two-dose regimen. Not currently. At this time boosters are only recommended for adults. After COVID-19 vaccination, some children – like adults – may have some mild side effects like soreness, headache, fever, chills. These are normal signs that your body is building immunity and, while they may affect your child’s ability to do daily activities, they should go away in a few days. Some people have no side effects at all. The risks from COVID-19 far outweigh the possible mild side effects from the vaccine. California will administer vaccines with the strategies laid out in the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Action Plan. The state will be leveraging existing infrastructure and partnerships currently used to administer vaccines for 12 and up. This includes working closely with local health departments, schools, community partners, and others to administer vaccines safely and equitably through mobile clinics and vaccine pop-ups in hardest-hit communities across the state. Again, if you have any questions, please call (855) 922-6325. There are many ways to get your eligible children vaccinated by either making an appointment or visiting a walk-in clinic. You can visit www.andalequeesperas.com or call (855) 922-6325 to schedule an appointment for your child today. Children are susceptible to serious complications from the COVID-19 virus and will benefit from the effective protection given by the vaccine. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was found safe for the 5-11 age group. It has been given safely to millions of youth since it was authorized for ages 16 and up in December 2020, and for ages 12 and up in May 2020. COVID-19 vaccines have gone through extensive clinical trials and the most intensive safety review in U.S. history. The technology behind the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is not new. Researchers have been studying and working with mRNA vaccines for decades. This allowed vaccine makers to get a jump-start and quickly develop the vaccine against COVID-19. Yes, doctors and scientists recommend that children and adolescents ages 5 and up get the vaccine, even if they’ve had COVID-19. We don’t know how long someone is protected from getting sick after recovering from the virus. And we don’t know whether the immunity developed against one strain provides enough protections against new variants. There is currently no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, cause female or male fertility problems. No loss of fertility was reported in the COVID-19 clinical trials — or in the millions of people who have since received the vaccine. COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and no concerns regarding growth and development have been identified during the clinical trials in children ages 5-11, nor any that have been raised in the ongoing trials with children as young as six months. In fact, being vaccinated allows our young people to get back to doing the things that support their development, such as in-school learning, socializing and sports. The nation’s immunization experts analyze all reports concerning any possible serious side effects following a COVID-19 vaccine. For instance, there have been rare, reported cases of inflammation of the heart muscle known as myocarditis and pericarditis— usually a week after receiving the second dose of mRNA vaccine. Cases have generally occurred in young adults, men, and people with certain medical conditions or recent medical procedures. In contrast, COVID-19 disease can cause myocarditis that is more severe than cases seen rarely after immunization. These are rare, short-term occurrences. The risk is low, and those affected generally recover rapidly. Some people have required treatment, while others have not. Most cases are mild. Meanwhile, COVID-19 disease can have long-term effects, making vaccination critically important. Yes, vaccinated Californians must continue to wear masks indoors in schools to protect themselves and others. Universal masking, combined with vaccination measures and access to regular testing, have been key to the state’s nation-leading success in keeping schools open – resulting in California accounting for less than one percent of all school closures nationwide, despite educating 12 percent of the nation’s public-school students. Now is not the time to let our guard down – especially as the winter months approach. Ongoing vigilance is critical to protect against COVID-19. This is particularly important for schools, where many children are only beginning to get vaccinated. School vaccine requirements established by regulation, not legislation, are subject to personal belief exemptions. However, the more vaccinations that get into the arms of eligible Californians the more we can stop the spread, shrink the pool of people vulnerable to COVID-19 and keep our schools and communities safe. Adding children ages 5-11 means we can vaccinate another 9 percent of our state’s population who remain vulnerable to COVID-19. Eligible Californians should get vaccinated as soon as possible. Vaccinations for 5–11-year-olds are now available, just in time for families to strengthen their protection against COVID-19. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is a two-dose series administered 21 days apart. Full protection against COVID-19 can take up to 2 weeks after the second dose. Children can also receive their flu shot at the same appointment as the COVID-19 vaccine. The mRNA, or messenger RNA, form of vaccine helps our cells make a “spike protein” from the virus that acts to trigger an immune response in the system. It does not change our DNA or RNA. The technology utilized to make these vaccines has been developed over the last 20 years. Messenger RNA has been studied for over a decade for effectiveness in influenza, Zika, rabies, and new cancer treatments. Pfizer and Moderna are manufacturing this type of vaccine to help us get this public health crisis under control safely and effectively. The following information was taken from the California Department of Public Health.