Updated on 1/6/2022.
On Jan. 5, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to do the following:
- Allow kids ages 12 years and older to get a single booster dose.
- Kids age 12 to 17 years old should receive a booster shot five months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination series.
- Allow for a third primary series dose for certain immunocompromised children 5-11 years of age.
Read the full statement from the CDC.
COVID-19 vaccine approved for kids 5 years and older in 2021
In November 2021, the CDC approved the FDA EUA of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5 years and older. The COVID-19 vaccine dosage for 5-11-year-olds is one-third of the amount given to adults. This is because vaccine dosing is not dependent on weight and size like medications are. Vaccines rely on our immune systems which change as we age.
I’d like to schedule a COVID vaccination for my child
Children’s Minnesota encourages families to get their eligible children vaccinated as soon as they can at the vaccination site nearest to them. If you have any questions or concerns about COVID vaccination, we encourage you to talk with your primary care provider. Also, continue to check the Children’s Minnesota website to learn about COVID-19 vaccine safety and more.
If you have additional questions, read our answers to commonly asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine.
There are many options available to get vaccinated:
- Contact your primary care clinic.
- Search the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Vaccine Connector for kids. You can type in your zip code to find where you can get vaccinated close to your home.
- Check with the pharmacies in your community.
- Keep checking the Children’s Minnesota website to learn more at org/covid19.
Why should kids get vaccinated?
Firsthand experience
This is a milestone moment in the fight against COVID-19. As the largest pediatric provider in the state, Children’s Minnesota has seen firsthand COVID-19’s direct and in-direct effect on kids. Not only can kids get seriously sick enough to require ICU care, but they’ve also had to struggle through distance learning, time away from friends, and even isolation from grandparents.
Kids get to be kids again
Kids and families have faced many challenges during the pandemic. Now that a vaccine is available for kids ages 5 years and older, kids are able to be kids again, and parents can feel safer with the vaccine protecting them against severe COVID disease. By getting kids vaccinated, we can help protect even younger kids who are not yet able to get vaccinated.
COVID-19 vaccines and kids: what pediatricians are saying
Dr. Gigi Chawla, chief of general pediatrics at Children’s Minnesota, talked with MDH about why COVID-19 vaccination is so important for children and teens who are eligible.
Alexandra Rothstein