COVID-19 Vaccine and Children

When scheduling, please book appointments under your CHILD'S NAME.

Masks are required to enter vaccine clinic buildings. 

Pediatric vaccines may be available at your family doctor's office and local pharmacy. To schedule an appointment close to home, please visit vaccines.gov.

Talk to your family doctor about the COVID-19 vaccine. 

• Your family doctor knows your family and your child's medical history better than anyone else. 
• Ask if they are offering the vaccine at their office.

Consider the best environment for your child's vaccine appointment

• Will your child feel more comfortable in a smaller environment, like a doctor's office?
• Is it easier for your family to schedule an after-school appointment at the Health Department's clinic?

There is so much information about vaccines. How do I know what is true?

With so much information at your fingertips, it can be challenging to know what to believe. Whether it’s online or in print, make sure the information you are reading is up-to-date, and from a credible source 

Talk about the information you read with a trusted health care provider, like your family doctor. We gathered resources to help you make the most informed decision for your family. Explore these up-to-date resources and use Vira, the Chatbot, to help answer additional vaccine questions.

Learn about the vaccine and side effects for children

• Your child may experience side effects from the vaccine. Most side-effects are mild and go away in a day or so, 
• COVID-19 vaccines are safe, but there are some short-term side effects your child may experience. In clinical trials, some children had no side effects, and some had side effects similar to those reported by adults and teens:
  • Pain, redness, and swelling where the injection was given, fever, chills, headache, fatigue, nausea
• Call your pediatrician and ask about medication that can reduce these symptoms.
• Find additional information about vaccine safety and side effects. 
• Read the full FDA report  
• Read the Pfizer 5 to 11 EUA Fact Sheet 

Help Your Child Prepare for Their Vaccine Appointment

Needles can be scary (and not just for parents)! Here are some helpful ways to help reduce pain for your child when they get their vaccine. 

Prepare your child ahead of time

• Check out our toolkit for parents and educators, featuring resources, fun activities, and information about the COVID-19 vaccine and children  
• Offer an honest explanation about what to expect. Prepare older children the day before.
• Describe how vaccination will feel (for example, like a small pinch).
• Tell your child what they can do to ease the pain (for example, sit still, breathe deeply, relax the arm). 
• Plan to wait in the observation room for 15 to 30 minutes after your child's vaccination

Distract your child

• Draw your child's attention away from the needle. This is one of the best ways that you can help your child. 
• What helps your child relax? Distract your child with a favorite toy or blanket, a book, music, singing, or telling a joke or a story.
• Tell your child to take a deep breath and to blow it out slowly.