NEWS
Bassett Healthcare Network Offering COVID-19 Vaccines to Everyone Aged 5 and Older
Bassett Healthcare Network is now offering COVID-19 vaccines to everyone aged 5 and older. Vaccines are available for children ages 5 to 11 in pediatric clinics and school-based health centers across the region. Make an appointment by calling your child’s practitioner.
What Parents Should Know
The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for kids. On October 28, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for patients ages 5 to 11. Many months of research and clinical trials have shown excellent results in thousands of children. The vaccine has been found to be 90.7 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 in kids and no serious side effects have been recorded.
Patients ages 5 to 11 will receive the Pfizer vaccine in two doses, three weeks apart, just like older kids and adults. However, the vaccine dose is lower – 10 micrograms instead of the 30 micrograms given to patients 12 and older.
“We’ve been waiting for this moment,” says Dr. Monica Brané, chief of Pediatrics at Bassett Healthcare Network. “Finally, our children have a safe and effective vaccine to help protect them and their loved ones against COVID-19. As a mother, as a doctor, and as a community member, I know that getting our kids vaccinated is one of the most important things we can do right now to take another major step towards beating this pandemic. Please make an appointment with your child’s practitioner today – as soon as possible – to get their COVID-19 shot. It’s one of the most incredible gifts we could ever hope for ahead of the holiday season.”