Vaccinating children under 5 years of age

Vaccines for children under 5 (Pfizer-BioNTech: 3 doses, 6 months to under 5 years; Moderna: 2 doses, 6 months to under 6 years) are now authorized and proven safe/effective by clinical trials, FDA, CDC, and other review groups. While severe COVID-19 is less common in children, hospitalization rates soared during Omicron. Vaccination protects against infection, sickness, and Long COVID. Common side effects include redness/pain at the injection site, tiredness, or fever; consult a healthcare provider for other symptoms. Vaccinating a child who already had COVID-19 is safe and increases protection. To calm children during vaccination: offer sweet solutions, breastfeed, use pain-relieving ointment/cooling spray, be honest and calm, use comforting words (pressure, poke), bring comfort items, distract with stories/songs, encourage deep breaths, and provide comfort afterward. Contact OHA (1-971-673-2411, 711 TTY, COVID19.LanguageAccess@dhsoha.state.or.us) for accessibility needs