LVHN Is Offering Fourth COVID-19 Vaccine Doses for Immunocompromised Children Age 5-11

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Families can now schedule Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots (fourth vaccine doses) for moderately and severely immunocompromised children age 5-11 at least three months after their third dose. 

The booster dose is separate from the initial vaccine series for this group of children, which includes three initial shots given over a period of seven weeks.

Booster shots are known to provide renewed protection against COVID-19, as research has shown that like vaccines for other illnesses, the protection from the primary COVID-19 vaccine series wanes over time (especially as new variants emerge). Boosters are especially important for children with weakened immune systems, as they are often more at risk than others for contracting COVID-19 and becoming severely ill.

Children may be considered moderately or severely immunocompromised if they:

• Are being treated for cancer
• Have HIV
• Received an organ transplant and are taking medications that suppress their immune system 
• Received chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy or a stem cell transplant within the last two years
• Have a condition that causes primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Are receiving treatment with medicines that suppress their immune response

If you aren’t sure if your child is immunocompromised, it is best to reach out to their pediatrician for guidance.

The most common side effects of the booster shots are mild and resolve within a few days. They include:

• Pain, redness and swelling at the injection site
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscle or joint pain
• Chills
• Swollen lymph nodes in the underarm

Vaccines and boosters for children in this age group are available by appointment only at Lehigh Valley Health Network’s (LVHN) five vaccination clinics in Hazleton, Pottsville, East Stroudsburg, Easton and Whitehall.

Some Lehigh Valley Physician Group (LVPG) Pediatrics practices also offer COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters. Check with your child’s health care provider’s office for COVID-19 vaccine availability.

There are two easy ways to schedule booster and initial vaccine series appointments for children in this age range at either the vaccine clinics or participating practices:

1. Go to MyLVHN, the health network’s patient portal:
   Sign In or Sign Up
   You will need proxy access to your child’s MyLVHN account to schedule through the patient portal. If you do not have proxy access, please contact your child’s health care provider. If your child does not have an LVHN provider, please call 888-402-LVHN (5846).
2. Call our COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline at 833-584-6283 (833-LVHN-CVD). We’re open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

For more vaccination information, visit LVHN.org/vaccines.