Parents of young children in the Central Shenandoah Health District are now able to seek a free bivalent pediatric COVID-19 booster vaccine for those aged five years and older, following the recommendation of the Virginia Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CSHD is currently offering the bivalent Moderna vaccine for all individuals 6 years old and older. Bivalent Moderna is safe and effective for use in those who received a different vaccine type for their initial dose. Both Pfizer and Moderna primary vaccine series are available for anyone ages 6 months old and older.
Free COVID-19 vaccine clinics
- Every Monday at the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Health Department;
- Every other Monday (beginning October 24) at the Staunton-Augusta Health Department;
- Every other Monday (beginning October 17) at the Lexington-Rockbridge Health Department.
Visit vase.vdh.virginia.gov to make an appointment.
The Moderna bivalent booster, currently available for persons aged 18 years and older who have completed their primary series or received their last monovalent booster at least two months ago, is now available for children aged 6 years to 11 years with a dosing of a half of the adult dose and for children and adolescents aged 12 years through 17 years with a dosing identical to Moderna’s adult vaccine.
The booster targets the original strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that first emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, and at the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the Omicron variant that emerged in the United States in November 2021.
Information about all the COVID-19 vaccines authorized for administration in the U.S. is available at the VDH COVID-19 vaccine website.
The local COVID-19 hotline is also available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at (877) 949-8378.
The Pfizer bivalent booster dose is not currently available at clinics, but anyone wishing to receive Pfizer should check with area community health centers, local clinics or retail pharmacies.
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LAST UPDATED: 03:21 PM, 7 SEPTEMBER 2022
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Crystal Graham
