AMTV, LOS ANGELES, July 11 – Children under the age of 18 in LA County continue to be significantly impacted by COVID-19, with many who were infected experiencing serious illness or long COVID. To date, there have been 93,181 children under the age of 5, 261,797 children ages 5 to 11, and 256,540 children ages 12 to 17 confirmed with COVID-19.
While most children experience mild illness, there is no way to know in advance how children will be affected by COVID-19. Many children in LA County experienced serious illness and required hospitalization after becoming infected with COVID-19. To date, there have been 1,378 children under the age of 5, 684 children ages 5 to 11, and 1,165 children ages 12 to 17 with COVID-19 hospitalized.
Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are available to children 6 months to 17 years. The Moderna vaccine requires two doses, given four to eight weeks apart for children 6 months to 17 years. Boosters for the Moderna vaccine are not currently recommended. The Pfizer vaccine for children ages 6 months to 4 years requires three doses, with three to eight weeks in between the first and second dose, and at least eight weeks between the second and third doses. Boosters for the Pfizer vaccine are currently not recommended for children ages 6 months to 4 years.
The Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 17 years requires two doses, with three to eight weeks in between the first and second dose. Boosters are recommended for this age group at least five months after the second dose.
Parents can also visit the Public Health website at VaccinateLACounty.com or VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) to learn about locations, and schedules for clinics offering these and other COVID-19 vaccines.
For those who have any questions about vaccine safety and effectiveness, please reach out to your pediatrician or clinician or speak with a Public Health staff member at the COVID-19 call center, (833) 540-0473 between the hours of 8 am and 8:30 pm seven days a week.
Q&A COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children 6 Months to 5 Years
On the newest LA Public Health podcast episode, LADPH pediatrician Dr. Yeganeh answers parents and guardian’s questions on vaccinating children ages 6 months and up against COVID-19. Listen to the ‘Ask Me Anything’ series here: https://t.co/VuiNfZnoW8
Federal Government Expands Access to COVID-19 Therapeutics
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced state-licensed pharmacists could start prescribing COVID-19 therapeutic pills directly to eligible patients. This comes as COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths continue to rise nationwide due to highly infectious Omicron subvariants, including BA.4 and BA.5 which are believed to be able to reinfect individuals who have already experienced an Omicron infection.
Previously, LA County patients could only access therapeutics with a prescription provided by their provider, a test-to-treat site, or by calling LA County’s COVID-19 Medication Telehealth Service.
Public Health will continue to provide its COVID-19 Medication Telehealth Services to ensure residents have abundant access to COVID-19 therapeutics.
Residents who think that they may be a candidate for therapeutics or have questions can call (833) 540-0473 or visit http://www.ph.lacounty.gov/covidmedicines or www.ph.lacounty.gov/covidmedicamentos. Public Health staff is available 7 days a week from 8:00 am to 8:30 pm.