Two COVID-19 vaccines are now authorized for children under the age of 5 and the Burlington County Health Department is ready to help get them vaccinated at four special clinics scheduled over the next two weeks.
Burlington County Health Department Director Dr. Herb Conaway said the authorization of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for the youngest children was anticipated and that the health department wanted to make sure vaccines were accessible for these children as soon as possible.
“The virus is still here and is still circulating and some of our youngest children have been affected,” said Dr. Conaway. “The shots have undergone extensive testing and trials that show them to be safe and effective protection against the most severe impacts of COVID-19, so getting these children vaccinated is extremely important.”
All four special clinics will be conducted by appointment-only at the Burlington County Health Department, 15 Pioneer Blvd., Westampton. The clinics will be held on the following dates and times:
- June 23, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- June 24, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- June 30, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- July 1, 10 a.m. to noon
To make an appointment, go to www.signupgenius.com/go/peeweeclinics
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were authorized by the U.S Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and both will be offered at the county clinics.
The Pfizer vaccine for children under 5 is one-tenth of its regular adult dose and requires a three-dose series for children under 5. Moderna’s shot is about one quarter the dose of the company’s adult shots, but a two-dose series is still being used. Appointments for follow-up doses will be made before leaving the clinic.
More than 318,000 Burlington County residents are now vaccinated, including 80 percent of all residents 5 and older. Around 60 percent have also received at least one COVID-19 booster shot.
“We’ve had a lot of success working with Virtua and our other partners to get most of our residents vaccinated. Doing so has saved lives and helped get things closer to normal,” said Conaway. “We also know many parents have been anxiously awaiting the authorization of these shots for their youngest children because they want them to be protected. It’s why we took steps to make sure the vaccine is now accessible to them right away.”
