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COVID-19 Update for Virginia<\/strong><\/p>\n November 5, 2021<\/p>\n Dear Colleague:<\/p>\n Thank you for your continued partnership in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0 Please visit the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) website<\/a> for current clinical and public health guidance, epidemiologic data, and other information.\u00a0 The following topic is included in this correspondence: Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Authorized and Recommended for 5\u201311 Year Olds.<\/p>\n On October 29, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the emergency use authorization<\/a> (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to include children 5\u201311 years of age.\u00a0 The FDA determined that the known and potential benefits of this vaccine in individuals 5 years of age and older outweigh the known and potential risks.\u00a0 The available safety data support the EUA in this age group.\u00a0 The vaccine\u2019s safety was studied in about 3,100 children aged 5\u201311 years who received the vaccine, and no serious side effects were detected.\u00a0 Based on the clinical trial data, commonly reported side effects included injection site pain (sore arm), redness and swelling, fatigue, headache, muscle and\/or joint pain, chills, fever, swollen lymph nodes, nausea and decreased appetite.\u00a0 Side effects were more common after the second dose and were mild to moderate in severity; these typically resolved within one to two days.<\/p>\n FDA also authorized a new<\/strong> formulation of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for individuals aged 12 years and older, which uses a different buffer (Tris buffer), to improve stability and storage conditions.\u00a0 Tris buffer is in other FDA-approved vaccines and other biologics, including those for use in children.\u00a0 FDA provided updated or new fact sheets<\/a> for healthcare providers and recipients to align with these recent authorizations.<\/p>\n On November 2, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for children 5\u201311 years of age.\u00a0 CDC\u2019s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) unanimously voted to recommend this vaccine based on the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of the vaccine.\u00a0 The vaccine is nearly 91% effective at preventing COVID-19 in children ages 5\u201311 years.\u00a0 CDC updated its Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Approved or Authorized in the United States<\/a> to incorporate vaccinating this population.<\/p>\n The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children 5\u201311 years of age should be administered as a two-dose primary series, 3 weeks (21 days) apart.\u00a0 If necessary, the second dose may be administered up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose.\u00a0 The new<\/strong> pediatric formulation for 5\u201311 year olds comes in vials with orange caps and allows for the delivery of a lower dose<\/strong> (10 micrograms) than the vaccine for people aged 12 years and older (30 micrograms).\u00a0 The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for people aged 12 years and older is supplied in vials with purple or gray caps and should not<\/strong> be used for individuals 5\u201311 years of age.\u00a0 As a reminder, CDC also recommends that COVID-19 vaccines be administered without regard to timing of other vaccines.\u00a0 This includes simultaneous administration of COVID-19 and other vaccines (e.g., flu vaccine).<\/p>\n In Virginia, COVID-19 vaccination of these younger children aged 5\u201311 years began on November 3, 2021.\u00a0 Virginia will have enough supply of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for all Virginians in this age group.\u00a0 Options for children to receive the free vaccine include pediatrician and family practice offices, retail pharmacies, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), free clinics, and Community Vaccination Centers (CVCs).\u00a0 Walk-ins may be available at some CVCs and appointments may be required at other locations.\u00a0 Because of the nature of vaccinating children, VDH anticipates that appointments with a primary care provider may be preferred by parents, and these appointments may be limited initially<\/strong> in certain areas.\u00a0 Please direct parents to vaccinate.virginia.gov<\/a>, which is being updated this week to include vaccination locations for 5\u201311 year olds, or the VDH hotline at 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682) to find available vaccination locations.\u00a0 VDH encourages all parents whose children are vaccinated against COVID-19 to enroll in v-safe<\/a> so they can provide health check-ins after vaccination and receive reminders about the second dose.\u00a0 Patients, caregivers, and vaccine providers are asked to report adverse events after vaccination to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)<\/a>, even if it is not clear that the vaccine caused the adverse event.<\/p>\n VDH\u2019s COVID-19 Vaccination Response website<\/a> is the best source of Virginia-specific information.\u00a0 Resources include extensive FAQs about vaccination, a COVID-19 Vaccine Dosage and Scheduling Table<\/a>, information about how to get a copy of your immunization record, and other vaccine clinic information.<\/p>\n Thank you again for your continued partnership as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n Sincerely,<\/p>\n M. Norman Oliver, M.D., M.A. COVID-19 Update for Virginia November 5, 2021 Dear Colleague: Thank you for your continued partnership in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0 Please visit the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) website for current clinical and public health guidance, epidemiologic data, and other information.\u00a0 The following topic is included in this correspondence: Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Authorized […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":283,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-986","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nState Health Commissioner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"