The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorized emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines for children six months to four years of age on June 18 for Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, ahead of back-to-school and respiratory illness season.

According to Cindy Williams, Chief Pharmacy Officer at Riverside Health System, vaccinating this age group is important for several reasons. There have been over two million COVID-19 cases in children under five. This age group has a higher risk for developing multisystem inflammatory syndrome after contracting the virus; some children have been hospitalized and have even died after contracting COVID-19. Also, cases of respiratory illnesses increase in the fall, which is only weeks away.

Children who are vaccinated with Pfizer will receive a three-dose series. After the first dose, children will receive their second shot three to eight weeks after their first dose and will receive their third dose more than eight weeks after their second. After ...