Health District, partners set to administer COVID-19 vaccine to those 6 months-4 years old this week

Reno, Sparks, Nev. June 21, 2022. The Washoe County Health District (WCHD) will begin administering the COVID-19 vaccine to anyone 6 months of age and older starting Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at its main clinic at 1001 E. 9th St., Building B in Reno.

To schedule an appointment, call 775-328-2427. Walk-ins will be allowed if space allows but appointments are recommended. The Health District received a shipment of Pfizer on Monday and Moderna on Tuesday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week recommended the COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months-4 years of age. That means that anyone 6 months of age and older are now eligible for both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

The Health District recommends residents also reach out to pediatricians, primary care physicians and pharmacies about administering the COVID-19 vaccine for those 6 months-4 years of age as WCHD received a limited supply.

“We’re excited to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to anyone 6 months of age and older,” said Kevin Dick, District Health Officer for Washoe County. “We would strongly encourage parents with children to talk with their doctors about the importance of getting their child vaccinated to provide an extra layer of protection from this disease.”

How to get your child vaccinated

  • Contact your primary care physician or pediatrician to see if they are administering the COVID-19 vaccine for those 6 months-4 years of age.
  • Call 775-328-2427 to schedule an appointment with the Washoe County Health District at its clinic location – 1001 E. 9th St., Building B (there is no drive-through option for vaccines at this time). Appointments are limited. The Health District clinic is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
  • Updates to vaccines.gov are expected to happen this week to allow searching for COVID-19 vaccines for those under 5.
    • CVS said it will administer Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to those 18 months and older – More info here.
    • Walgreens will provide Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to those 3 years and older – more info here.
    • Walmart plans to provide COVID-19 vaccines to those 3 years and older – more info here.
  • WCHD will partner with Renown Health to host a clinic to provide the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to those 6 months-5 years of age on Saturday, June 25, 9-11:30 a.m., at the Renown Medical Group – North Los Altos location (1525 Los Altos Pkwy, Sparks). Appointments required. Only the Moderna vaccine will be available. Schedule an appointment here.

Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine – The Pfizer vaccine is approved for those 6 months to 4 years old and is a three-dose series – the first two doses are three weeks apart followed by the third dose at least eight weeks after the second dose. The Pfizer doses are 3 micrograms, which is 1/10th the level of what adults receive. The three doses were about 75-82 percent effective at preventing mild illness from the Omicron variant in those 6 months-4 years old according to the FDA, though that data is preliminary.

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine – The Moderna vaccine is for those 6 months to 5 years old and is a two-dose series, one month apart. The Moderna doses are 25 micrograms, which is 1/4th the level of what adults receive. The Moderna vaccine was about 51 percent effective in preventing mild illness from the Omicron variant for kids 6 months-2 years old and 37 percent for those 2-5 years; protection from severe illness, though, was much higher.

Safety, side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine for those 6 months to 4 years old

The FDA and CDC took into consideration the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines first and foremost followed by effectiveness. According to the CDC, COVID-19 vaccines have undergone – and will continue to undergo – the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history.

The FDA, prior to making the decision to authorize these vaccines for the respective pediatric populations, had its independent Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee evaluate the vaccines for the under 5 age group and it voted in support of the authorizations.

In terms of side effects with the Pfizer vaccine, the FDA reported commonly pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, fever and underarm (or groin) swelling/tenderness of lymph nodes in the same arm (or thigh) as the injection. For the Moderna vaccine, the FDA said the most commonly reported side effects in clinical trial participants 6 through 23 months of age who received the vaccine were irritability, decreased appetite, fever and pain, tenderness, redness and swelling at the injection site. These side effects were also reported for the vaccine recipients 2 through 4 years age, who also experienced headaches and chills.

Both the FDA and CDC said the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the risks. More safety info can be found here.

COVID-19 community events and appointments for just 5 years and older

  • Thursday, June 23, Reno-Sparks Convention Center, 4590 S Virginia St, Reno, 3:30-6 p.m. – Appointments here
  • Friday, June 24, Food Truck Friday, Idlewild Park, 2055 Idlewild Dr, Reno, 4:30-6:30 p.m. – Appointments here
  • Saturday, June 25, Mexican Consulate Day at Neil Road, 3925 Neil Road, Reno, 9 a.m. -12:30 p.m. – Appointments here
  • Thursday, June 30, Reno-Sparks Convention Center, 4590 S Virginia St, Reno, 3:30-6 p.m. – Appointments here

The Washoe County Health District has COVID-19 vaccine and booster appointments for anyone 6 months or older in its clinic Monday – Friday at 1001 E. 9th St. in Reno, and nurses that can come to your residence if you are homebound. Call 775-328-2427 for appointments.

You can also find vaccines at local pharmacies by going to www.vaccines.gov.

The COVID-19 Regional Information Center is working together to deliver COVID-19 community updates in a unified manner. While press releases are only sent periodically for significant events, you can always get daily results on our website, https://covid19washoe.com/, our COVID-19 Dashboard or by following us on Twitter @COVID19Washoe. The entities include: City of Reno, City of Sparks, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Regional Transportation Commission, REMSA Health, Reno Sparks Indian Colony, Reno Police Department, Reno Fire Department, Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, University of Nevada, Reno, Washoe County, Washoe County Health District, Washoe County School District and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. Also in the group are Community Health Alliance and the area hospitals, Northern Nevada Medical Center, Renown Health and Saint Mary’s.