LARGO, MD – Following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) emergency use authorization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation that children ages 5 to 11 receive a Pfizer COVID-19 booster dose, the Prince George’s County Health Department urges families to get their children 5 and older vaccinated and then boosted as soon as possible.

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is currently the only one approved for use in children ages 5 and older, and federal and state health regulators have authorized a booster dose at least five months after children received their second dose.

“As a pediatrician, a father, and your Health Officer, I want Prince Georgians to know that getting your child vaccinated and boosted when eligible is the most effective way to avoid severe illness if they get COVID-19,” said Prince George’s County Health Officer Dr. Ernest Carter. “The vaccine and the booster dose are safe for children and provide a critical burst of antibodies to their immune systems to fight the virus and keep them out of hospital beds. The more Prince Georgians who are up to date (fully vaccinated and boosted) on their COVID-19 vaccinations, the healthier and more protected we will all be, especially with the recent rise in cases the County and region are experiencing.”  

Pediatricians’ offices, retail and grocery store pharmacies, hospitals, and other health care providers across the County and region offer vaccinations and booster doses for Prince Georgians ages 5 and older. Find nearby clinics by visiting the County’s vaccine clinic locator at mypgc.us/COVIDvaccine. Read the CDC’s full booster dose eligibility guidance.

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