COVID-19 vaccines available for young children; Why experts say it took so long

DAYTON — Across the Miami Valley children as young as 6 months old can now get the COVID-19 vaccine.

They will be the last group to receive the vaccine — no one younger than 6 months will ever be offered it.

It took two years for this age group to have the vaccine available to them.

Health officials said this is because a lot of research had to go into making sure the vaccine was safe for very young children.

“It’s taken this long because more and more research has been done to make sure that we get the exact right dosage for these little ones, to make sure that they’re protected but that they’re not getting too much vaccine,” Charles Patterson, health commissioner of Clark County Combined Health District said.

>> COVID-19 vaccinations set to be delivered to area health providers today for young children

Dayton Children’s Hospital is one of five places in Dayton offering parents to come and get their kids vaccinated.

Even though the Center for Disease Control approved both Pfizer and Moderna for young children, Dayton Children’s is only offering the Pfizer vaccine.

Patterson explained where vaccines are being sent.

He said that according to the state health department, around 30 percent are going to hospital systems, like Dayton Children’s, and another 30 percent are going to pediatricians.

A small percentage will go to pharmacies and a little less than 20 percent will go to local health departments, Patterson said.

Neither the FDA nor the CDC has approved booster shots at this time.

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