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Following recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week for use of Pfizer's Covid-19 booster vaccine in 5 to 11-year-olds, the V.I. Dept. of Health on Sunday announced the booster shot's availability for the age group in the USVI.
Virgin Islands children in the aforementioned age group are eligible for their third dose of the Pfizer vaccine five months after the original two shots, according to D.O.H. The extra dose is one-third the amount that people 12 years old and above receive.
The CDC's recommendation, which came Thursday, followed the approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday.
The CDC also said on Thursday that it was strengthening its recommendation that people 12 years and older who are immunocompromised, or who are 50 and older, should receive a second booster dose at least four months after their first, according to the Wall Street Journal.
With this new approval, an estimated 28 million American children are eligible for the shot. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky issued a statement encouraging parents to vaccinate their offspring, warning that they are otherwise vulnerable to serious illness. “We know that these vaccines are safe, and we must continue to increase the number of children who are protected,” Dr. Walensky said.
According to the V.I. Dept. of Health, pediatric boosters are available at the CVC on St. Croix at the Charles Harwood Memorial Complex, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Appointments are recommended due to the size restriction of the CVC space, D.O.H. said. Appointments can be made by calling 340-777- 8227.
On St. Thomas, Pediatric boosters are available at the MCH Clinic on Tuesdays and Fridays. Interested person are advised to call for an appointment at 340-777-8227. Pediatric boosters are available on St. John on Wednesdays at the VIPA Gravel Lot from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Parents and guardians are reminded to bring an ID for themselves and the child as well as the child’s birth certificate.
