COVID-19 Vaccine for Children Ages 6 Months to 11 Years

Doctors Takao and Shah strongly endorse the COVID-19 vaccine for patients 6 months and older. There are storage and administration issues that prevent us from administering the COVID-19 vaccine to our patients. A list of suggested alternative sites to receive the COVID-19 vaccine is outlined below.

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months to 11 years. The vaccine for children comes in a lower dose and with smaller needles than those used for people ages 12 and older. 

Very few side effects are seen in children after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Most side effects go away after a few days. The most common side effects are:

• Soreness, redness, or swelling at the site of infection
• Tiredness, headache, muscle soreness, chills, fever, or nausea

More serious side effects are very rare in children aged 6 months to 11 years.

Vaccinating children will help protect them from getting COVID-19 and reduce their risk of severe disease, hospitalizations, or developing long-term COVID-19 complications. Immunizing this age group against COVID-19 is expected to prevent around 600,000 new cases. 

The Pfizer vaccine's safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children ages 5 to 11 years - there were NO serious side effects detected. The children's vaccine is 91% effective at preventing COVID-19, and it reduces the risk of hospitalizations.  

Vaccine information from the CDC and Pfizer.

For young children who are NOT immunocompromised: 

• The Moderna vaccine is given in 2 doses, 4-8 weeks apart. 
• The Pfizer vaccine is given in 3 doses. The second dose is 3-8 weeks after the first dose, and the third dose is given 8 weeks after the second dose. 

For young children who are immunocompromised:  

• The Moderna vaccine is given in 3 doses. The second dose is 4 weeks after the first dose, and the third dose is 4 weeks after the second dose. 
• The Pfizer vaccine is given in 3 doses. The second dose is 3 weeks after the first dose, and the third dose is 8 weeks after the second dose. 

The Pfizer vaccine is given in 2 doses, 21 days apart. This is the same schedule as older teens and adults.

Vaccine information from the CDC.

Patients are able to receive their COVID-19 vaccine at UCSF Children's Hospital in Oakland. No proof of eligibility is required. Please bring insurance card(s) to your appointment. Currently, this location does not accept walk-ins. 

Location: Oakland Outpatient Center (directly across from the hospital)

744 52nd Street, Oakland, 94609

To make an appointment, call (415) 514-1196, select your preferred language, and choose option 2. Stay on the line to speak to an operator, and ask to schedule a vaccine at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. Vaccination appointments can also be made through MyChart. The MyChart help desk can be reached at (415) 514-4100. 

More details: https://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/education/covid-19-vaccine

Patients are able to receive their COVID-19 vaccine at CVS locations.  Please bring insurance card(s) to your appointment.  

To make an appointment, visit https://www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine and follow the prompts. 

Patients are able to receive their COVID-19 vaccine at certain Rite Aid locations.  Please bring insurance card(s) to your appointment.  

To make an appointment, visit https://www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/scheduler and follow the prompts. 

A complete and up-to-date list of Rite Aid locations that offer the COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 can be found at: https://www.riteaid.com/covid-19/minors 

 Our website does not offer a complete list of vaccine locations. We will continue to be update this page as more COVID-19 vaccination locations become available, including in counties and school districts.

A complete list of where to receive the COVID-19 vaccine can be found at https://vaccines.gov. This list is revised frequently as COVID-19 vaccine locations are updated.

You can also schedule a vaccination appointment at https://myturn.ca.gov/ 

CDC information on pediatric and adolescent COVID-19 vaccines:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/children-teens.html

CDC information on COVID-19 vaccines ages 6 months to 5 years:

 https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0618-children-vaccine.html

COVID-19 vaccines at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals:

https://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/education/covid-19-vaccine

Images from Nationwide Children's, Lifespan, and the CDC.