Wake County starts administering COVID-19 booster shots for children ages 5-11
Wake County clinics began giving booster shots of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 5-11 on Monday.
On Sunday, Wake County Public Health began taking appointments.
“Being fully vaccinated and boosted remains the best defense against serious illness and hospitalization from COVID-19,” said Wake County Associate Physician Director and Epidemiology Program Director Dr. Nicole Mushonga in a news release. “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 North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services 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 one-third of the adult dose and 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 has set up a special website with information for families and a link for signing up for their children’s COVID-19 protection.
On Monday, Pfizer announced three doses of its vaccine offer strong protection for children younger than 5. Later this week, the company plans to give the data to U.S. regulators in a step toward letting the youngest kids get the shots.
