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Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccines

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About Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone ages 6 months and older previously received only monovalent doses to receive 1 or 2 bivalent mRNA vaccine doses, depending on age and vaccine product.

Please review the COVID-19 Vaccine Timing Guide for more information.

Although fewer children have been infected with COVID-19 compared to adults, children can:

  • Be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19
  • Get sick from COVID-19
  • Spread COVID-19 to others

Get a COVID-19 vaccine for your child as soon as you can.

  • COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
  • COVID-19 vaccines have been used under the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history.
  • Your child will not get the COVID-19 virus from any COVID-19 vaccine, including the Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna (Spikevax( COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Your child may get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines at the same visit or without waiting 14 days between vaccines.

Cases of myocarditis and pericarditis in adolescents and young adults have been reported more often after getting the second dose than after the first dose of one of the two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna. These reports are rare and the known and potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks, including the possible risk of myocarditis or pericarditis.

Children who get infected with COVID-19 can also develop serious complications like multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C)—a condition where different body parts become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. Since the pandemic began, more than 2,300 cases of MIS-C have been reported in children ages 5 through 11 years. Children with underlying medical conditions are more at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 compared with children without underlying medical conditions.

To learn more about (MIS-C): MIS-C FAQ

See the CDC’s statement on COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens for further info and clinical data.

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Bivalent Vaccines

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 bivalent mRNA vaccine to be used for all doses administered to individuals 6 months of age and older, including for an additional dose or doses for certain populations.

As of April 18, 2023, monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized for use in the United States.

  • Children 6 months through 5 years of age who are unvaccinated may receive a three-dose series of the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine (6 months through 4 years of age). Children who are 5 years of age may receive a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine. 
  • Children 6 months through 5 years of age who have received one, two or three doses of a monovalent COVID-19 vaccine may receive a bivalent vaccine, but the number of doses that they receive will depend on the vaccine and their vaccination history.

For more information, please refer to the following resources:

Moderna (Spikevax) COVID-19 Vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have authorized the use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months and up.

As of April 18, 2023, monovalent Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized for use in the United States.

  • Children 6 months through 5 years of age who are unvaccinated may receive a two-dose series of the Moderna bivalent vaccine (6 months through 5 years of age). Children who are 5 years of age may receive two doses of the Moderna bivalent vaccine. 
  • Children 6 months through 5 years of age who have received one, two or three doses of a monovalent COVID-19 vaccine may receive a bivalent vaccine, but the number of doses that they receive will depend on the vaccine and their vaccination history

For more information, please refer to the following resources:

Help Protect Your Child and Your Family

Getting a COVID-19 vaccination can help protect your child from getting COVID-19. Early information shows that the vaccines may help keep people from spreading COVID-19 to others. They can also help keep your child from getting seriously sick even if they do get COVID-19. Help protect your whole family by getting yourself and your children vaccinated against COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe

  • While COVID-19 vaccines were developed rapidly, all steps have been taken to ensure their safety and effectiveness.
  • COVID-19 vaccines were developed using science that has been around for decades.
  • COVID-19 vaccines are not experimental. They went through all the required stages of clinical trials. Extensive testing and monitoring have shown that these vaccines are safe and effective.
  • COVID-19 vaccines have received and continue to undergo the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history.

COVID-19 vaccines are effective

  • COVID 19-vaccines are effective. They can keep you from getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. Learn more about the different COVID-19 vaccines.
  • COVID-19 vaccines also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19.
  • Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Preparing for Your Child’s Vaccination Visit

  • Tips for how to support your child before, during, and after the visit.
  • Talk to your child before the visit about what to expect
  • Tell the doctor or nurse about any allergies your child may have.
  • Comfort your child during the appointment.
  • After your child’s COVID-19 vaccination, you will be asked to stay for 15–30 minutes so your child can be observed in case they have a severe allergic reaction and need immediate treatment.
  • For more information on preparing for your child’s vaccination, please visit: CDC COVID-19 Vaccination for Children.

Vaccination of Minors FAQs

The federal government does not have specific requirements for medical consent for vaccination. States/jurisdictions have medical consent laws that address the circumstances under which a medical provider must seek consent prior to a medical procedure and the processes for obtaining that consent. These laws vary across jurisdictions. Providers may also be subject to policy requirements for consent within their own organizations.

To access COVID-19 vaccine in the United States, a provider must enroll in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Vaccination Program and sign the applicable CDC Provider Agreement. The CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider Agreement requires the provider to comply with applicable patient assent and consent laws in their state/jurisdiction for administration of COVID-19 vaccines.

If a minor is vaccinated at a County vaccine clinic or special event, a consent form will be required for each child.

NOTE: At any San Bernardino County-operated clinic, a parent or legal guardian is required to both sign the consent and remain present with the minor in order for the child to be vaccinated. 

Some state, tribal, and territorial laws may require a parent or legal guardian to accompany an eligible minor to receive vaccinations. Some jurisdictions’ laws may allow parent/guardian consent without a requirement to be physically present for the vaccination if the provider is given evidence of the consent prior to vaccination. Providers may also have to comply with policy requirements determined by their organization.

At any San Bernardino County operated clinic, a parent or legal guardian is required to both sign the consent and remain present with the minor (aged 17 or younger) in order for the child to be vaccinated.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 bivalent vaccines for children aged 6 months to 4 years and 5 to 11 years are new products with new packaging, new product configuration, different dosage and injection volumes, and have new National Drug Codes (NDC); however, the formula of the vaccine will remain the same. Current products for adults and adolescents cannot be used in children under 12 years of age.

The Moderna COVID-19 bivalent vaccine is the same formulation for individuals 6 months and older, the difference is the injection volumes based on age range, 6 months-11 years and 12+.

Per the FDA, “The vaccine has been known as the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, and will now be marketed as Spikevax, for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older”.

Updated vaccines:

  • The updated vaccines protect against both the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the Omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5. Two COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, have developed updated COVID-19 vaccines.

 Original vaccines:

  • Previous COVID-19 vaccines are called “original” because they were designed to protect against the original virus that causes COVID-19.
  • As of April 18, 2023, the original Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized for use by the FDA in the United States. Updated Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are being used for all age groups.

Side effects after getting a COVID-19 vaccine can vary from person to person. Please review CDC for more information.