Tulsa Health Department to start administering COVID-19 vaccines to children 4-years-old and under

TULSA, Okla. — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the emergency use authorization for Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to include children from six-months-old to four-years-old.

On June 18, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) director endorsed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation that all children six months to five-years-old should receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This expands eligibility for vaccination to nearly 20 million additional children, and that all Americans ages six months and older are now eligible for vaccination.

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Parents and guardians can now get their children vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines to better protect them from COVID-19. The Tulsa Health Department stated all children, including those who have already had COVID-19, should get vaccinated.

The Tulsa Health Department said they anticipate receiving the vaccines within a week and will begin administering the vaccines to children six months and older as soon as the vaccine is received.

“We welcome the opportunity to expand the protection offered by the COVID-19 vaccine to more community members,” said Tulsa Health Department Executive Director Dr. Bruce Dart. “As of June 14, 2022, 83 percent of the Tulsa County population age 5 and over have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.”

COVID-19 has become one of the top 10 causes of death among children, and tens of thousands of children and teens have been hospitalized because of the virus. While children and teenagers are typically at lower risk than adults of becoming hospitalized from COVID-19, the Tulsa Health Department said the effects of the virus are unpredictable.

COVID-19 vaccines are available on an appointment basis at the following Tulsa Health Department locations. To make an appointment, visit vaccinate918.com. Those 17 and under must have parent or guardian present for consent to receive the vaccine.

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