Akron Children’s is offering Covid-19 vaccine for children under age 5

07-07-2022 (Akron, Mahoning Valley, Ohio )

Akron Children’s Hospital is now scheduling appointments for children as young as 6 months through age 4 to receive the Covid-19 vaccine recently approved by the FDA and CDC.

At this time, Akron Children’s will offer the 3-dose Pfizer vaccine for children ages 6 months and older. The vaccine has previously been approved for children 5 and older.

The vaccines will be administered at all Akron Children’s Hospital Pediatrics offices in Ohio, as well as its Urgent Care Centers in Boston Heights, Mansfield, Warren, and Medina/Montrose; and QuickCare Centers in Austintown, Boardman and Portage County.

“We know parents have been waiting for this vaccine,” said Dr. Rob McGregor, chief medical officer for Akron Children’s. “We are making it as convenient and close to home as possible through our network of pediatric primary care offices. At one tenth the original adult dose, we are confident this is not only an effective but safe vaccine for our youngest children. The 3-dose regimen has shown to be quite effective during clinical trials, including against the Omicron variant of Covid-19.”

Children need not be patients of record to receive the vaccine through Akron Children’s but an appointment is required. Appointments can be made at www.akronchildrens.org/covidvaccine.

If you don’t already have a primary care provider, and want a pediatrician, search here for one near you: https://www.akronchildrens.org/Akron-Children-s-Hospital-Pediatrics.html

Here are a few other facts about the vaccine:

• The three-dose Pfizer regimen is as follows: 3 weeks between dose 1 and 2; 8 weeks between dose 2 and 3. See attached infographic and plan ahead for best protection for the upcoming school year.
• While children under 5 typically have mild cases of Covid-19, they can be asymptomatic carriers of the virus. This means having young children vaccinated can help protect grandparents, parents, siblings and others in addition to themselves.
• A high vaccination rate among this population would help to keep more children in daycare and pre-school without interruption.
• Children who have already tested positive for Covid-19 are still encouraged to get the vaccine. The combination of natural immunity and vaccine is especially effective deterrent to future illness.