COVID-19 vaccine appointments now available for kids

Appointments are now available for children to get updated COVID-19 vaccines in Wisconsin.

Health officials are recommending families make plans to get vaccinated, warning about a “triple threat” of respiratory viruses this fall and winter: COVID-19, the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The new COVID vaccines are better formulated to target COVID-19 variants that are spreading now — similar to how flu shots are updated each year to match viruses in circulation.

At Children's Wisconsin, primary care president Michael Gutzeit said while children aren't hospitalized with COVID-19 as often adults, his team is anticipating more children getting sick in the coming weeks as is typical for this time of year, as school resumes. He urged families to get vaccinated as soon as they're able.

"We know that the vaccine provides protection against not only getting COVID in the first place but against getting serious infections that are associated with COVID," Gutzeit said. "Healthy children are able to stay in school, are able to participate in their social activities, are able to do all the things that kids want to do."

Here’s what to know about when and where children can get vaccinated.

What age groups are recommended to get the new COVID-19 vaccine?

Health officials recommend all children older than 6 months get one dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of whether they have had prior doses or infections.

Can kids get the new COVID-19 vaccine for free?

COVID-19 vaccines are no longer free for all children because of the ending of the federal public health emergency.

Children who are uninsured, enrolled in BadgerCare, or are enrolled members of tribal nations, can still get the vaccine for free from the Milwaukee Health Department. These children can also get the vaccine for free from a number of other providers through the Vaccines for Children Program.

For other children, most insurance plans are expected to cover the full cost of the shots through in-network providers.

Where is the vaccine available?

Families can get the vaccine through their primary care doctors or through local pharmacies. Vaccine availability by age and location can be found at vaccines.gov.

Pharmacy spokespeople said Walgreens locations would be able to vaccinate children 3 and older, while CVS planned to vaccinate children 5 and older. Appointments can be booked through their websites.

Wisconsin's Hayat Pharmacy planned to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to all children as young as 6 months. Appointments can be scheduled at hayatrx.com/covid-19-vaccine.

For those who are uninsured or enrolled in BadgerCare, free vaccines will be available at Milwaukee Health Department clinics when the department receives its supply of vaccine, with no appointment needed:

• Southside Health Center, 1639 S. 23rd St.: 3-6 p.m. Mondays, 1-4 p.m. Tuesdays

• Northwest Health Center, 7630 W. Mill Road: 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Fridays

The Milwaukee Health Department will also offer vaccination clinics to children who are uninsured or enrolled in BadgerCare at: Lincoln Avenue School, 1817 W. Lincoln Ave., on Sept. 20; Elm Creative Arts School, 900 W. Walnut St., on Sept. 27; and Engleburg School, 5100 N. 91st St., on Sept. 28 — all from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The COVID-19 vaccine will be available at those clinics, if the department receives it in time.

Should children get vaccinated for flu and RSV at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccine?

Health experts say it’s safe to get flu shots and COVID-19 shots at the same time.

RSV vaccines, which are new this year, are only recommended for some children younger than 19 months. Families should talk with health professionals about whether and when to get the vaccine.

Are COVID-19 numbers rising in children?

COVID-related hospitalizations have been rising in Wisconsin since June, though those numbers are still lower than they’ve been since 2021. Health officials have also looked to wastewater to track local levels of COVID-19 in feces, which has shown rising levels of the virus in Wisconsin since July.

Without as much reporting of individual COVID-19 test results, it’s become more difficult to monitor spread specifically within age groups. Milwaukee Public Schools has also stopped tracking COVID-19 cases. National data show hospitalizations rising for children alongside adults since July, but at lower rates.

Do children need the new COVID-19 vaccine? Are there side effects?

Health workers recommend children get vaccinated to prevent severe illness from COVID-19, and to reduce spread to other family and community members.

A CDC study found that during the COVID-19 surge in the winter of 2021-22, unvaccinated children were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized than vaccinated children.

A June study of over 800,000 households with adults and children found that about 70% of household COVID-19 transmissions started with children, more so during in-person schooling and less so during school breaks.

At Children's Wisconsin, Gutzeit said the COVID-19 vaccine can cause mild side effects similar to other vaccines, like soreness near the area of the injection and fatigue for 24 to 48 hours. He said COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to be safe.

"We know a lot more about the COVID vaccine now than we did when it first came out," he said. "The current COVID vaccine is every bit as safe and as effective as the previous vaccines were, and having the ability to look at the data over a long period of time now, we see that that's holding true."

Journal Sentinel reporter Sarah Volpenhein contributed to this report.

Contact Rory Linnane at rory.linnane@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @RoryLinnane. 

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about getting the new COVID-19 vaccine for kids