RHHD to offer COVID-19 vaccinations for children under 5 starting Wednesday
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The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts will offer their first COVID-19 vaccinations for children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years June 22. The RHHD has received shipments of the Moderna vaccines (which recently earned federal approval for children in that age range) and expects delivery soon of the Pfizer vaccine (approved for children 6 months to 4 years old).
Vaccinations will be available at an RHHD event June 22 from 9 a.m. to noon at the agency’s location at 8600 Dixon Powers Drive in Henrico’s West End. There is a limited supply of doses for children under 5, so parents and guardians are encouraged to make appointments for their children here rather than relying upon walk-up availability. However, walk-up will be accommodated as capacity allows, according to RHHD officials.
If all appointments are full at an event, RHHD staffers will help families find an appointment at a future event. The new childhood vaccines also will be made available through the agency’s Doses on Demand program, which offers delivery and vaccination in homes.
A full list of upcoming RHHD vaccination events is available at vax.rchd.com.
In addition to RHHD events, local pediatricians offices and pharmacies are expected to begin offering vaccinations to young children in the coming days, too.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is a three-dose series of shots, with the first two doses administered three weeks apart and a third dose at least two months after the second dose. The Moderna vaccine is a two-dose series administered four weeks apart.
“With the CDC’s endorsement of the recommendation of its independent panel of advisers that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can be safely administered to children 4 years of age and younger down to 6 months of age and the Moderna vaccine to children 5 years of age down to 6 months, one of the final fronts in the battle against COVID-19 has opened up,” said Christy Gray, Virginia’s vaccination coordinator and director of the Virginia Department of Health’s Division of Immunization. “We at VDH are pleased to begin offering this vaccine to parents who want to protect their youngest children from severe illness and hospitalization due to this virus. We urge parents to consult with their child’s healthcare provider about vaccination.
“VDH is excited that parents have this opportunity and are empowered to protect their youngest children against this virus.”
