Young children now eligible for COVID-19 vaccines in Kitsap County

The latest wave of COVID-19 vaccine rollouts, for children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years old, began last week in Kitsap County.

The Kitsap Public Health District and the Kitsap Children’s Clinic are partnering to offer the newest wave of vaccines to county residents. Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration authorized both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use in children as young as 6 months old. The CDC also recommended that children in that age group receive the vaccine.

In Kitsap County, the effort began on June 27 at Kitsap Children’s Clinic in Port Orchard. Sixty people made appointments, according to Shannon Re, a nurse and manager of the clinic, which was offering the Moderna version of the vaccine. With only three cancellations, Re says they didn’t have to turn anyone away during the two-hour session.

“That was a great feeling — that anybody who wanted it had the ability to get it,” Re said.

The FDA’s authorization opens up two vaccines for children under 5 years old. Pfizer’s vaccine includes two doses, three weeks apart, and a third dose eight weeks later. Moderna’s vaccine includes only two shots, four weeks apart, as well as a third dose for young children who are considered immunocompromised, according to the FDA.

“It's incredibly important for these kids to get vaccinated,” said Dr. Gib Morrow, health officer for the Kitsap Public Health District. In addition to keeping kids healthy and safe, Morrow says everyone benefits from vaccinating this age group. “There's the whole community benefit of really helping suppress transmission and decrease spread,” he said.

Morrow also emphasized the need to keep children up to date on regular vaccines like chickenpox and measles after a lag in immunizations during the pandemic.

Liz Davis, a nurse and the Immunization Program Manager at the Kitsap Public Health District, says that parents should ask if their pediatrician is administering the vaccine. But there are clinics across the county offering vaccines to children under 5 years old.

“COVID is not going anywhere for the foreseeable future. And this vaccine seems to be something that we're going to be needing for the foreseeable future,” Davis said. The Health District’s clinics will provide vaccines for young kids free of charge.

In addition to managing three more clinics throughout the summer, Re said the children’s clinic is scheduling appointments for existing patients at its Silverdale location. Future clinics will require appointments, which usually open a week before the scheduled time and date.

“What is important is we are trying to ensure that people have equitable access to healthcare and be able to be protected, and we meet the demand for all populations,” Re said.

Pharmacies, which played a large role in the earlier phases of the vaccine rollout, are able to administer vaccines to children as young as 3. Walgreens, Rite Aid and Safeway are currently offering COVID-19 vaccines to everyone 3 or older.

“The more providers that we have enrolled to do this work, the better. It increases access and makes things easier for parents,” Davis said.

As of June 2022, 70% of all Kitsap County residents have been fully vaccinated, according to the Kitsap Public Health District.

Vaccine clinics for young children will be at Kitsap Children Clinic’s Port Orchard location, on the following dates:

• July 7, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

• July 9, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

• August 6, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Young children now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine in Kitsap County