Beginning next week, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) expects to begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations to children ages 6-months to 5-years-old. In a statement, the health corporation said that it has ordered the vaccinations for this age group and expects to begin administering them on July 6, if the doses arrive as scheduled.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended vaccinations for 6-months to 5-years-olds earlier this month from both Moderna and Pfizer. YKHC will carry both brands.
The Moderna vaccine is for 6-month-olds to 5-year-olds. It’s a two-dose series, given four weeks apart. Children with certain immunocompromised conditions can also receive a third dose a month later. The Pfizer vaccine is for 6-month-olds to 4-year-olds and is a three-dose series. The first two shots are given three weeks apart, and the third dose eight weeks after the second shot.
“As we saw across the country, children in our region ages 6 months through 4 years old were more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than older children or adults during the winter surge brought on by the omicron variant,” YKHC Chief of Staff Dr. Ellen Hodges said in a statement from YKHC. “Our pediatric population is very vulnerable to chronic lung conditions. COVID-19 vaccination offers extremely safe, durable protection that can prevent children from getting sick enough to be hospitalized. I’d love to see every child in our region receive the protection the vaccine provides.”
“COVID-19 vaccination for our youngest community members is another step toward returning to normalcy,” YKHC Director of Infection Control Dr. Elizabeth Bates said in a statement from YKHC. “Up-to-date vaccination can help to keep children in daycare and school. In our region, where we have many multi-generational homes, vaccinating children as soon as they are eligible protects everyone from baby to grandma.”
To schedule an appointment in Bethel, call the COVID-19 hotline at 907-543-6949. To schedule an appointment in a village, call 907-543-6420. YKHC asks that if you receive an answering machine to leave a message with your name and contact information.