All children aged 5-11 in Massachusetts have been cleared to get booster shots of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine starting Friday, a day after federal health officials did the same.
The Baker administration noted that children should get the booster shot no sooner than five months after they finished their first set of vaccine doses.
Parents can arrange for their kids to get booster shots through their children's pediatrician or by using the state's VaxFinder web tool, which allows users to search for locations that offer the pediatric vaccine.
"As a pediatrician and as a parent, I want to stress that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 is safe and effective in preventing severe illness and hospitalizations in children, and I encourage parents and families to get their children boosted and contact their health care provider if they have any questions," Massachusetts Department of Public Health Chief Medical Officer Estevan Garcia said in a statement.
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on booster doses for the age group Thursday night, with Director Rochelle Walensky saying in a statement, “Vaccination with a primary series among this age group has lagged behind other age groups leaving them vulnerable to serious illness.”
The approvals comes as COVID cases are spiking in some parts of the country, including New England.
