Clinics to begin administering Pfizer-BioNTech booster doses Monday
Following actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Wake County Public Health will begin taking appointments Sunday for children ages 5 and up seeking a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. The clinics will begin administering the booster dose on Monday.
“Being fully vaccinated and boosted remains the best defense against serious illness and hospitalization from COVID-19,” said Dr. Nicole Mushonga, Wake County Associate Physician Director and Epidemiology Program Director. “While children in this age range don’t typically have severe cases of the virus, we are seeing signs of long COVID, and the vaccine can help make those symptoms less severe as well.”
The booster dose is available to children five months after completing their primary series of two shots. Any child who received their second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine before Dec. 20 is now eligible for the booster.
According to NCDHHS data, 45% of children in this age group in Wake County have been vaccinated with at least two doses.
The Pfizer shots for children are 1/3 of the adult doses and are given with a smaller needle. The arm muscle is preferred for COVID-19 vaccines for children 5 -11 years of age. However, the leg can be used as well, if needed. The most common side effects after the booster were pain, redness or swelling where the shot was given, along with tiredness, fever or a headache. All typically resolve within a few days.
Wake County set up a special website, WakeGov.com/kids, with information for families and a link for signing up for their children’s COVID-19 protection.
Staying Updated
Visit Wake County’s multilingual COVID-19 webpage for the latest information on COVID-19. It features a set of frequently asked questions to educate residents, COVID-19 vaccine information, COVID-19 testing locations and the most current data on how the virus is impacting our county.
Also, look for important updates about COVID-19 on Wake County’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
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