The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the green light on Saturday to administering COVID-19 vaccines to children younger than 5 years old, days after the Food and Drug Administration recommended the move and more than a year after the shots were approved for adults.
The agency signed off on the Moderna vaccine for children ages 6 months to 5 years old, recommending two doses given four weeks apart. It also approved the Pfizer vaccine for children 6 months through 4 years old, requiring a three-shot regimen — the first two doses being given three weeks apart, and the final dose administered at least two months later.
FDA AUTHORIZES COVID-19 VACCINES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, SETTING UP SHOTS FOR NEXT WEEK
States nationwide have already begun preparing to dole out doses starting Monday. Here’s what you need to know about how vaccines will be distributed in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Pediatric vaccines will be available for D.C. residents beginning Tuesday for children 6 months and older at all district COVID-19 centers, health clinics, and doctors’ offices, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Saturday.
The district had ordered roughly 8,800 doses — about two-thirds of them Moderna and the other third Pfizer. Officials will require those seeking the vaccine to prove residency through a district-issued ID before receiving the jab.
Vaccines will also become available at pharmacies and drugstores starting this week, but health officials say they will likely only be available for children older than 3.
You can see the locations where vaccines are available here.
Virginia
Vaccines will begin arriving in Virginia on Monday, with health officials predicting availability for children under 5 on either Tuesday or Wednesday, the agency said.
The vaccine will be available at local health departments and pediatrician offices for all toddlers, and select pharmacies will offer appointments for children older than 3. The state has preordered almost 103,000 doses, and they will be available for everyone, regardless of residency.
Local health districts are responsible for preordering vaccines, with most opting for Pfizer (63,500) over Moderna (39,400), a spokesperson told the Washington Examiner.
Maryland
Maryland health officials are set to begin administering doses to children under 5 on Monday, with pediatricians and primary care doctors getting first priority for shipments.
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Not every doctor’s office signed up to be part of the first wave of vaccine shipments, according to the state’s health department, but several retail pharmacies will also have doses available for children older than 3. The state preordered about 65,400 doses — half Pfizer and half Moderna.
Every child is eligible to receive the vaccine, regardless of residency. It’s not entirely clear when the federal government will approve the state for another round of vaccines, health officials told the Washington Post, but the initial deliveries should cover the immediate demand.
