CDC expands updated COVID-19 vaccines for children

December 9, 2022

CDC expands updated COVID-19 vaccines for children

MOBILE, Ala. — The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has expanded the use of updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 6 months through 5 years. The follows the U.S. Food & Drug Administration amending the emergency use authorizations of the updated vaccines.

Children ages 6 months through 5 years who previously completed a Moderna primary series are eligible to receive a Moderna bivalent booster 2 months after their final primary series dose. Children ages 6 months through 4 years who are currently completing a Pfizer primary series will receive a Pfizer bivalent vaccine as their third primary dose.

Updated COVID-19 vaccines are formulated to protect against some of the more recently circulating viruses. Most importantly, COVID-19 vaccines are critical to providing ongoing protection as immunity wanes and the virus continues to mutate.

The vast majority of children in this age group have not received any doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. CDC is working to increase parent and provider confidence in COVID-19 vaccines and improve uptake among the 95 percent of children who are not vaccinated or who have not completed the COVID-19 vaccine primary series. Parents should talk to their child’s health care provider to ensure their child is up to date on their COVID-19 and other vaccines.

“Parents, guardians, and caretakers stay informed and make the best decisions for their loved ones,” said Dr. Kevin Philip Michaels, Health Officer for Mobile County. “Vaccination remains the best choice for ongoing protection with changes in the virus.”

The Mobile County Health Department (MCHD) and Family Health, its primary care division, have all three vaccines available (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Novavax). Information on COVID-19 vaccinations and testing can be found at www.MCHDcares.com or by calling 251-410-MCHD (6243).

Vaccinations and rapid testing are available at MCHD’s Festival Centre location (3725 Airport Boulevard, Suite 101-A, in Mobile), Public Health Response Unit 2 located at the Keeler Memorial Building (251 North Bayou Street in Mobile), Public Health Response Unit 1 located at the Semmes Health Center (3810 Wulff Road East), and the Southwest Public Health Center (5580 Inn Road in Tillman’s Corner).

These in-clinic services from the COVID-19 Response Team are available weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are no out-of-pocket costs. While no appointment is required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, individual appointments must be made for rapid testing online at this link — https://appointments.mchd.org.

COVID-19 vaccines are also available by appointment at the following Family Health locations – Keeler Memorial Building (251 North Bayou Street in Mobile), Semmes Health Center (3810 Wulff Road East), Eight Mile Health Center (4009 Saint Stephens Road), Southwest Mobile Health Center (5580 Inn Road in Tillman’s Corner) and Dauphin Island Parkway Health Center (2601 Dauphin Island Parkway in Mobile). Appointments may be made by calling 251-690-8889.