GILLETTE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Health said Monday COVID-19 vaccinations are now recommended for children six months and older. Vaccines for both children and adults are available at no cost.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), following authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), now recommends the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 6 months through 4 years with a three-dose series and appropriate dose amount for that age group,” the WDH said. “The Moderna Covid-19 vaccine is also now recommended for children aged 6 months through 5 years in a two-dose series for most children and appropriate dose amount.”
Clinical trials of thousands of young children were reviewed to gauge safety and effectiveness of the vaccines prior to the FDA authorization and the new CDC recommendations, the WDH noted, adding that millions of older children have been safely vaccinated across the U.S.
“I encourage Wyoming parents to choose vaccination for their children,” State Health Officer and State Epidemiologist Dr. Alexia Harrist said. “We have certainly seen some children become very ill due to the virus and we also know they can spread COVID-19 to others who may be especially vulnerable to the virus and its effects.”
Children are able to receive other vaccines at the same time as COVID-19 vaccines, according to Harrist. Parents are encouraged to contact the local public health office or other approved COVID-19 vaccine providers for information about availability. The WDH noted that the newly authorized vaccines for young children are being ordered, shipped and delivered to locations in Wyoming.
“As we move through this pandemic, including at this phase, staying up to date with vaccines remains the best way to reduce our vulnerability to this virus and its most serious effects,” Harrist said.
More information about the COVID-19 vaccines for children is available from the CDC.
The WDH is also encouraging people to consider getting booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
“Booster doses have become more important over time and are recommended for everyone ages 5 and older, with second booster doses recommended for everyone ages 50 and older,” Harrist said. “Those with certain health conditions that could affect their immunity should ask their healthcare provider whether they should receive additional or booster doses.”
The WDH said people can find information about where to get vaccines by:
- Visiting vaccines.gov or vacunas.gov online to search and find vaccine sites.
- Texting your ZIP code to 438829 (GETVAX) or 822862 (VACUNA) to find up to three nearby locations that have vaccines available.
- Calling the National COVID-19 Vaccination Assistance Hotline at 1-800-232-0233 for phone-based help.
“More information from WDH about vaccination in Wyoming can be found at https://health.wyo.gov/publichealth/immunization/wyoming-covid-19-vaccine-information/,” the release added.
The Wyoming Department of Health provides COVID-19 case, variant, death, testing, hospital and vaccine data online. The department also shares information about how the data can be interpreted. COVID-19 safety recommendations are available from the CDC.
