Children (those less than 18 years of age) account for a significant proportion (>20%) of COVID-19 cases in Virginia. Children aged 5–11 years have the highest case rates of COVID-19 in Virginia of any childhood age group. Although children and adolescents may have less severe acute illness than adult populations, they are still at risk of becoming sick, hospitalized, or in some cases, dying. Although many hospitalized children have underlying conditions, one-third do not. Children who become infected may also develop long-term illness, such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) or long COVID. MIS-C is a condition where different body parts become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. Long COVID is when individuals develop symptoms such as fatigue, chest pain, headaches, or shortness of breath that last for weeks or months, and may not appear until several weeks after infection. Long COVID can occur even in cases of asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 disease. A number of children have developed myocarditis from COVID-19 infection.

Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history. We are fortunate to have such a safe and effective vaccine to protect us. Having the ability to vaccinate children aged 5–11 will provide additional protection for this population. Equally important, it can help our students stay in school, and minimize interruptions such as having to quarantine after an exposure. Vaccination can also decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission, which makes our communities safer.

You can now make an appointment for your 5–11 year old to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. 

Virginia will have enough supply of the Pfizer-BioNTech (5-11 year old) vaccine for all Virginians ages 5-11. However due to the nature of vaccinating this population, we do anticipate appointments with a primary care provider may be preferred by parents and therefore may be more limited initially. There are many options for children to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech (5-11 year old) vaccine, including pediatrician and family practice offices, retail pharmacies, federally qualified health centers (FQHC), and Community Vaccination Centers (CVCs).

High demand for the Pfizer-BioNTech (5-11 year old) vaccine in some parts of Virginia may make it hard to get an appointment at certain locations at first. More appointments will open up each week. Parents and guardians should check vaccinate.virginia.gov regularly to see updated appointment availability, especially if they are unable to make an appointment at their preferred location.

To look for an appointment, check with your child’s healthcare provider to see if they are providing COVID-19 vaccines for this age group, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov, or call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682). Many healthcare providers have vaccines, but some do not. You can find other locations such as retail pharmacies, community events, and community vaccination centers at vaccinate.virginia.gov.

No. All COVID-19 vaccines work well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death, even against the Delta variant. However, public health experts are starting to see reduced protection,  especially among certain populations, against mild and moderate disease.

• Yes, vaccines are safe for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all people 12 years and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future.
• There is no evidence of miscarriages, stillbirths, or preterm births linked to the vaccines.
• In fact, getting vaccinated is especially important for pregnant people who have a higher risk of complications from COVID-19. Additionally, a recent study found antibodies against COVID-19 in babies born to vaccinated people, which might help protect the babies. And recent reports indicate that vaccinated breastfeeding people have antibodies in their breast milk, which may also help protect their babies.

• Yes, vaccines are safe for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all people 12 years and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future.
• There is no evidence of miscarriages, stillbirths, or preterm births linked to the vaccines.
• In fact, getting vaccinated is especially important for pregnant people who have a higher risk of complications from COVID-19. Additionally, a recent study found antibodies against COVID-19 in babies born to vaccinated people, which might help protect the babies. And recent reports indicate that vaccinated breastfeeding people have antibodies in their breast milk, which may also help protect their babies.