COVID Vaccines Approved for Children 6 months to 4 Years

BOSTON — Following recommendations from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Baker-Polito Administration today announced that Massachusetts children ages 6 months to 4 years old are now eligible to receive the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

For the 6 months to 4-year-old age group, the Pfizer vaccine consists of three pediatric doses and the Moderna vaccine consists of two pediatric doses. Appointments will be available for booking beginning Tuesday, June 21st with additional locations and appointments expected to come online in the following days. Vaccines are already available to those 5 years and older. The Administration expects there to be over 400 locations for children ages 6 months to 4 years old to receive a vaccine in the coming weeks.

The COVID-19 vaccine has shown to be safe, effective, and protective against serious illness or death. The Administration is committed to ensuring families have convenient access to free, safe, and effective vaccines. Children 6 months and older may receive a vaccination at locations such as their pediatricians’ offices, community health centers, state-supported vaccination sites, mobile clinics and some pharmacy settings depending on the pharmacy and the child’s age.

“We know parents and families have been waiting for this, and we are pleased to have this last age group approved for the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Dr. Estevan Garcia, a pediatrician, and Chief Medical Officer at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. “The vaccine for this age group has been rigorously tested and we encourage parents to add this vaccine to the list of critical vaccinations their children should receive. We urge parents to reach out to their child’s health care provider with any questions they may have.”

How to find a pediatric COVID-19 vaccination appointment:

1. Parents who prefer to have their child vaccinated by their primary care provider should call their provider’s office directly.
2. Visit the VaxFinder tool at vaxfinder.mass.gov for a full list of available locations. You can narrow results to search for locations offering the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine. Some locations listed may only vaccinate certain ages. Read the site details to learn more.
3. For individuals who are unable to use VaxFinder, or have difficulty accessing the Internet, the COVID-19 Vaccine Resource Line is available by calling 2-1-1 (Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 6 PM, Saturday and Sunday 9 AM – 2 PM). The COVID-19 Vaccine Resource Line is available in English and Spanish and has translators available in approximately 100 additional languages.

Massachusetts is a national leader in vaccination rates with over 84 percent of eligible residents fully vaccinated and over half of adults boosted. Massachusetts residents have ready access to vaccines, rapid tests, and therapeutics – all the resources needed to prevent severe illness and the Commonwealth’s COVID data shows these tools work.

The vaccine is free, and you do not need insurance or an ID to be vaccinated. Additional information on the COVID-19 vaccination, including FAQs, can be found here: mass.gov/COVIDvaccine

For vaccine information on ages 6 months to 4 years, please visit: mass.gov/COVIDvaccineyoungkids

For vaccine information on ages 5-11, please visit: mass.gov/COVIDvaccinekids

For vaccine information on ages 12-17, please visit: mass.gov/COVIDvaccineyouth

Posted: to Board Of Health News on Tue, Jun 21, 2022
Updated: Tue, Jun 21, 2022