What you need to know about COVID vaccines for ages 5 and under
COVID-19 vaccines for children 6 months to 5 years of age are being distributed throughout Georgia, as new cases continued to trend upward throughout June.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends all children older than 6 months old get vaccinating, expanding eligibility to nearly 20 million additional children, according to a news release. This means that all Americans ages 6 months and older are eligible to receive the COVID vaccine.
“I encourage parents and caregivers with questions to talk to their doctor, nurse or local pharmacist to learn more about the benefits of vaccinations and the importance of protecting their children by getting them vaccinated,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in the release.
Children between 6 months and 5 years old may receive either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, according to the CDC, and children who have already had COVID should also get vaccinated.
Vaccines for children under 5 years of age will be available at Georgia health departments, said West Central Health District spokesperson Pamela Kirkland.
“We are expecting them any day now,” she said. “So, it’s best to call to be sure we have the inventory.”
The central number for the health department in all Georgia counties is 833-337-1749.
Walmart and Sam’s Club plans to administer vaccines to children ages 3-5 as supply and distribution allows, said spokesperson Tyler Thomason.
“We are dependent on allocation from the federal government,” he said. “So we will ahve limited supply available.”
People should visit Walmart’s digital scheduler to find a location with the pediatric vaccine, he said.
Parents can reach out to their doctor, nurse, local pharmacy, health department or visit vaccines.gov to see where vaccines for children are available, according to the CDC.
COVID-19 trends in Georgia
The state reported 30,373 new cases of COVID between in the last two weeks at a case rate of 280 cases per 100,000 people.
The seven-day moving average for the state on June 29 was 2,037.1 cases. The seven-day moving average is found by taking the number of cases reported in the last seven days, adding them up and then dividing by seven. The moving average has been trending upwards since mid-April.
There have been 256 COVID deaths in the state since June 1, and 32,072 deaths since the pandemic began. As of June 29, 655 people in the state are hospitalized.
The percentage of residents who have received at least one dose of the vaccine has only increased from 61% on Jan. 1 to 64% on June 29, according to data from the Georgia Department of Public Health. Since Jan. 1, the percentage of residents who are fully vaccinated has increased from 54% to 57%.
About 24% of residents have received an additional dose of the vaccine.
Muscogee County
The CDC upgraded Muscogee County’s COVID community level from low to medium on June 29.
People who are at high risk for severe illness should speak to their healthcare providder about whether they should wear a mask, the CDC recommends, and residents should continue to stay up-to-date with vaccinations and get tested if they are symptomatic.
Muscogee County reported 496 new COVID cases in a two-week period at a case rate of 259 cases per 100,000 people as of June 29. This has increased from 228 cases in a two-week period on June 1 at a case rate of 119 cases per 100,000 people.
The seven-day moving average on June 22 was 31.9 cases. The seven-day moving average gradually increased from 21.3 cases on June 1.
There have been 6 deaths from COVID in the county so far this month. Since the start of the In the last two weeks, 21.4% of COVID tests in the county were positive.
As of June 29, 53% of Muscogee County residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 46% are fully vaccinated. Additionally, 19% of residents have received an additional dose of the vaccine.
More information about COVID-19 data in Georgia can be found on DPH’s COVID-19 status website.
