COVID-19 vaccines available during the school holidays
Have you got spare time these school holidays? There are plenty of COVID-19 vaccine appointments available. Protect your child against COVID-19 ahead of term two by making sure they’re up to date with their COVID-19 vaccine. Children 5 to 11 can have two doses of the paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, 8 weeks apart, at SA Health vaccination clinics.
COVID-19 in young children is generally mild, however, it is possible that your child could become severely ill and have long term effects if they catch COVID-19. Vaccination is the best way to protect your child and reduce their risk of becoming seriously unwell.
Now is the perfect time to get your child vaccinated as it can take up to two weeks for the vaccine to provide full protection.
SA Health vaccination clinics are open all school holidays, you can make a booking or just walk in!
The whole family can get vaccinated together, including first, second and booster doses.
The paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and the half dose Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is also available at participating GPs and pharmacies. Check with your GP or pharmacy to see if they are offering the vaccine for children.
To book your child’s first and second dose, visit www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/covidvaccine.
Facts
- The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) have approved the paediatric Pfizer vaccine for children 5 to 11 and a smaller dose of the Moderna vaccine for children 6 to 11 following a careful evaluation of available data to support its safety and effectiveness.
- The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommends the paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 and a half dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 6 to 11.
- The paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is a third of a dose compared to the vaccine given to people 12 and over.
- The half dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is available at selected GPs and pharmacies.
- Two doses of vaccine are required to be fully protected from COVID-19.
- It can take up to two weeks for the COVID-19 vaccine to provide full protection.
- Like other vaccines, the COVID-19 vaccine dosage is based on the developmental stage of the immune system rather than the weight of the person. Your child will receive the dosage for their age on the day of vaccination rather than by weight.
- Two smaller doses of the COVID-19 vaccines create an equally strong immune response in children as the larger doses do in people aged 12 and over.
- Children with health problems are at greater risk of getting severely ill with COVID-19, including children with congenital heart disease, chronic lung problems, being above a healthy weight, and neurological (brain, nerve and muscle) disorders including epilepsy.
- Your child might experience some side effects after their vaccine, but these are usually mild and only last for a couple of days.
- Common and expected side effects can include pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, a headache, general muscle aches and pain, or a fever.
- There are rare side effects linked to the full dose of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, including myocarditis and pericarditis, however, these are extremely rare in children under the age of 15 and children 5 to 11 receive a smaller dose.
- The benefits of protection against COVID-19 far outweigh the risks from rare and generally mild side effects.
For more information and all enquiries please visit the SA Health website
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
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