DOH recommends Pfizer COVID-19 booster dose for New Mexico children aged 5 through 11
Parents can schedule an appointment online at: www.vaccineNM.org
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) recommends the use of a single booster dose for children aged 5 through 11 years, at least five months after completion of a primary series with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The Pfizer BioNTech vaccine is the only vaccine currently approved for this age group.
This recommendation follows the announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s authorization of a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine this week for children.
“My grandchildren are the joy of my life, and I want to do all I can to keep them safe,” said Acting Department of Health Secretary, David R. Scrase, M.D. “All New Mexicans and their families have the tools to fight increasingly contagious variants, and getting a booster when eligible is right at the top.”
The FDA expanded the Pfizer BioNTech EUA to include a single booster dose for children ages 5 – 11 on May 17, 2022. On May 19, 2022, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to recommend COVID-19 booster doses for everyone 5 years and older. The CDC endorsed the recommendation shortly after the meeting and strengthened their recommendation for second booster doses for previously designated groups*.
Children ages 5 - 11 who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should receive a booster dose at least 3 months after completion of a 3-dose primary series. The 3 dose primary series is as follows: a first dose followed 3 weeks later by a second dose and then four weeks later by a third dose.
Individuals who have had COVID-19 are advised to stay up-to-date with the recommended doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Unvaccinated individuals or vaccinated individuals with breakthrough cases recovering from COVID-19 are eligible for vaccine after their isolation period of ten days is over and their symptoms have resolved.
Appointments can be scheduled with your local pharmacy, doctor’s office, or many community providers. To schedule an appointment online visit: www.vaccineNM.org or if you need help scheduling an appointment, call 1-855-600-3453 and pick option 3 for English, option 9 for Spanish.
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*Groups eligible for receiving a second booster include Adults 50 and older, people 12 and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, people who got 2 doses of J and J. See CDC: Who can get a booster.
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