[Archived] City of Alexandria Now Offers COVID-19 Vaccines to Children Ages 5-11

­­For Immediate Release: November 3, 2020 

Following yesterday's approval by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) and other providers are now offering COVID-19 vaccinations to Alexandria residents ages 5 and older.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 by accepting the recommendation of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which met November 2 to review administration and safety data for the vaccine in this age group. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the vaccine’s Emergency Use Authorization to include those ages 5-11. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which requires two doses separated by a three-week period, was previously approved for those aged 12 and older. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are currently only available for people ages 18 and older.

Parents and guardians have multiple options for getting 5-11 year olds vaccinated, including AHD vaccine clinics, pharmacies and pediatrician’s offices. Minors cannot consent to immunizations, so a parent or guardian must provide consent either in advance or at the vaccination site, depending on the provider. Pediatric vaccine appointments at AHD clinics will be available on a rolling basis as supply becomes available, so please be patient. It may take several weeks to receive the supplies needed to vaccinate the more than 12,000 youth in Alexandria.

AHD will continue to coordinate with community partners to host vaccine events at schools on weekends and throughout the community during the week. Visit alexandriava.gov/Vaccines to find appointments. Appointments at additional providers, such as pharmacies, will be available at vaccines.gov later this week, once the website has been updated with a pediatric vaccine search option. For support finding a vaccine, contact the Alexandria COVID-19 Hotline on weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., at 703.746.4988.

Visit alexandriava.gov/Vaccines for more information.

For media inquiries only, contact Natalie Talis, Population Health Manager, at natalie.talis@vdh.virginia.gov and 703.746.4914.