NORFOLK, Va. – Clinics in Hampton Roads are starting to roll out COVID-19 vaccinations for children under the age of five years.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on COVID-19 vaccines for children under five on Saturday.
All Virginians from the age of six months and older are eligible now to get a free COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH).
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is a three-dose series with the first two doses administered 3 weeks apart and a third dose at least two months after the second dose. The Moderna vaccine is a two-dose series administered 4 weeks apart.
Elizabeth Simpson Earley, a spokesperson for Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, wrote News 3 stating that “CHKD Health System will be offering COVID-19 vaccinations to children ages 6 months through 4 years in a phased approach as our practices and locations gradually receive their limited shipments of the vaccine.”
She added that Norfolk Pediatrics has received an initial, small shipment of vaccines for children ages 6 months through 4 years. The practice will make this vaccine available on a first-come, first-served basis. You must have an appointment, but you do not have to be an established patient of the practice to make an appointment.
Norfolk Pediatrics is located at 1529 International Boulevard, Suite 103, Norfolk, VA, 23513. Their number is (757) 855-6800.
One of the first families in Hampton Roads to have their young children receive the shot is the Schaefer family.
“It’s one of those things. You just don’t know what the next variant will be like, and we just want to try and keep them as safe as possible," said mother Gabriela Schaefer. "You know, my husband and I are both fully vaccinated and boosted, so I just wanted to make sure as soon as it was available that we were gonna’ go ahead and get them squared away and get them all vaccinated.”
CHKD is expected to have more updates in the coming days as it receives more vaccines. Other practices awaiting shipments include: Chesapeake Pediatrics, General Booth Pediatrics, Liberty Pediatrics, Newport News Pediatrics, Pediatric Associates, Pediatric Specialists, and Tidewater Children's Associates.
Practices that expect to receive vaccines this week include General Academic Pediatrics, Coastal Pediatrics, and Pediatric Associates of Williamsburg.
For the latest up-to-date information, click here.
A spokesperson for Celebrate Healthcare, which has held many vaccine clinics in Hampton Roads during the pandemic, said they are currently working with providers to schedule clinics and will share updated information soon.
