Parents and caregivers of the youngest Pima County residents will now be able to start a series of COVID-19 vaccines following federal approval for Pfizer and Moderna for children ages 6 months to 5 years.
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Vaccines are available starting Tuesday, June 21, both at county clinics and at some pediatricians’ offices. The county initially had about 2,000 doses, a number that will increase starting next week.
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About 20% to 25% of parents across the country are expected to get their infants and toddlers vaccinated right away, reports the Kaiser Family Foundation.
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In general, as is the case in many regions of the country, Pima County is experiencing a spike in infections right now, although hospitalizations are stable and not increasing.
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“We’re in accelerated transmission right now,” said Dr. Theresa Cullen, the county’s health director, adding that vaccines for the very young could help offset that over time. “Anything we can do to mitigate that is considered a win for the health department.”
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Transmission of COVID-19 in the county is believed to be up to five times higher than currently reported, Cullen said, with an estimated 500 to 1,000 cases per 100,000 residents at this time.
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Being able to immunize all age groups could help make the current pandemic endemic, meaning the disease will still be here but won’t be as significant or disrupt daily life as much. However, Cullen said whether that happens depends on how well communities do with immunizing this younger group.
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“It’s still a wait-and-see game,” he said. It also remains to be seen, depending on what happens with the disease in the future, whether COVID-19 vaccines will become part of a child’s recommended vaccination regimen.
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Cullen said there has been talk for months about a vaccine for this age group, but it was delayed to ensure its safety.
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“The data indicates that this is a safe vaccine and that there have been very few significant side effects associated with it,” he said.
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Children who are immunized in this younger group will receive two doses of Pfizer or three of Moderna. So far in Pima County, about 53% of people ages 5 to 9 are vaccinated.
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In addition to county clinics and pediatricians’ offices, some pharmacies will eventually begin offering the vaccine to this age group. The county still operates 20 to 30 mobile clinics in the community. For more information on where to find the vaccine, visit webcms.pima.gov/government/health_department.
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“You’ll have to check with your own pediatrician to see if it’s available,” he said. Pharmacies are not expected to begin offering the vaccine to this age group right away, and some pharmacies will not offer the vaccine to children under 3 years of age. Anyone interested in getting her son’s vaccine series through a pharmacy should call for details.
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If there’s a rush this week, some parents and caregivers may have to wait until next week to get their little ones vaccinated.
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Within three to four weeks of the series ending, Cullen said, the child should be well protected against major illnesses. During the omicron surge, he told her, the number of children admitted to hospital, meaning serious illness, doubled across the country.
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Contact reporter Patty Machelor at 520-806-7754
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