Families can schedule child vaccines by appointment only at all LVHN COVID-19 vaccine clinics and certain LVPG Pediatrics practices.
Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) vaccinated approximately 30 children age 5-11 with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, Nov. 3.
This was done at LVHN’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic location in Whitehall, Pa., following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s endorsement of the vaccine on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Ten-year-old Ashley Gaynor was excited to receive her vaccination – mainly because it brings her one step closer to normalcy in her school and personal life.
“I was excited to get the shot because it meant that we will soon be able to play with other classes at school,” Ashley says. “We aren’t allowed to be with other classes on the playground, which makes me sad because my best friend is in another class.”
Ashley’s mom, Michelle Gaynor of Coplay, Pa., feels a sense of relief that her children are now more protected against COVID-19 than before. Both Ashley and her 6-year-old brother, Jacob, received their first of two vaccines at the clinic on Wednesday.
“I am not a scientist, but I trust our pediatrician and the clinical trials conducted for the vaccine,” Michelle says. “I also felt better knowing that many older children and adults have already been vaccinated.”
“My husband and I want to do anything we can to protect our children, and we’ve been taking every precaution possible since the start of the pandemic.” Michelle says. “Wearing masks has been helpful and kept both Ashley and Jacob from getting COVID-19 so far, but this adds another layer of protection. They both ski race, and the timing of the vaccine approval is perfect. By the time they are back on the slopes, I’ll feel a lot more comfortable knowing they are fully vaccinated.”
In clinical trials, the vaccine was found to be nearly 91 percent effective at preventing children age 5-11 from contracting COVID-19. Side effects were also found to be mild and similar to what is experienced by other age groups.
“I am not a scientist, but I trust our pediatrician and the clinical trials conducted for the vaccine,” Michelle says. “I also felt better knowing that many older children and adults have already been vaccinated.”
While the vaccine for children in this age group consists of the same components as the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for other ages, the dose is significantly smaller (10 micrograms instead of 30 micrograms), and the needles used to administer it are smaller as well.
If you are looking to have your child vaccinated through LVHN, you must schedule an appointment. There are two easy ways to do so:
You may need to request proxy access to your child’s MyLVHN account to schedule their appointment. To do so, please contact your child’s provider. If your child does not have an LVHN provider, please call 888-402-LVHN (5846).
Locations
When you book your appointment through MyLVHN or the COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline, your child's vaccination will be scheduled at one of LVHN’s five clinic locations or one of the two participating LVPG Pediatrics practices. Please note: You cannot directly schedule through these practice location pages. These links are for location information only.
Parents may have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and its safety. To address your concerns, Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital pediatric specialists will be hosting a virtual information session on child COVID-19 vaccination on Wednesday, Nov. 17, from 5:30-6:15 p.m. Learn more and register at LVHN.org/parentsessions.