LEONARDTOWN, Md. – The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) has updated the eligibility criteria for local COVID-19 vaccine clinics to include children ages 5 through 11 years of age in accordance with updated authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 through 11 years of age is administered as a two-dose primary series, 3 weeks apart, but is a lower dose (10 micrograms) than that used for individuals 12 years of age and older (30 micrograms). Please note: the Pfizer vaccine is the only COVID-19 vaccine currently authorized for those under the age of 18, and parental consent is required.
“We have already seen strong effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing serious illness from COVID-19 in those aged 12 and older. People fully vaccinated also have a lower likelihood of getting infected and possible long-term complications from COVID-19 illness,” said Dr. Meena Brewster, St. Mary’s County Health Officer. “The currently authorized COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 – 11 years is ⅓ of the dose used for ages 12 and older. We encourage parents to consider it in order to protect their children.”
For more information or to make a COVID-19 vaccination appointment, please visit smchd.org/covid-19-vaccine-kids or call the SMCHD COVID-19 Community Hotline at (301) 475-4330. Please review the allergy guidance and the FAQs for SMCHD COVID-19 Vaccination prior to registering for a vaccine appointment.