COVID-19 Vaccine:

The newest COVID-19 Moderna 2024-2025 season vaccine is now available in our offices for all children 6 months old through 11 years of age! 

All of us at Piedmont Pediatrics believe that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and extremely effective and we recommend that all eligible children (6 months of age and up) get immunized.

COVID-19 vaccines can be given with other routine childhood immunizations and the influenza vaccine at the same time.

Your child should be immunized with the vaccine that is appropriate for their age.  For example, if a child is 11 years old for their first COVID vaccine, but turns 12 before the second, then they should get the 5-11 year old vaccine for the first dose and the 12+ yo vaccine for the second.  There is no benefit or increased immunity associated with waiting to get a “larger” dose.

When should my child get a COVID-19 vaccine?

*  Those 6 months through 4 years of age who have never had a COVID-19 vaccine need:

  - 2 doses of the Moderna vaccine

  - 1 month (4 weeks) between the two doses

  -  (Pfizer vaccine requires 3 doses but we do not carry this brand at Piedmont Pediatrics)

*  Those 6 months through 4 years of age who have had one previous Moderna vaccine need:
- one dose of the Moderna vaccine 1 month (4 weeks) after their last dose



*  Those 5 years of age and up (regardless of previous number of vaccines) need
- one dose of the latest COVID-19 vaccine  (2+ months after their last dose if they had one )

* Those  6 months of age and up who recently had a COVID-19 infection should get the COVID-19 vaccine (whether the first one or a booster) 3+ months after their infection

(Please note that there is a different primary schedule for the Pfizer vaccine, but booster doses are interchangeable between the Moderna and Pfizer products.)

Testing:

U.S. households can also order up to 4 COVID test kits, at no charge, at COVIDTests.gov.

Remember that the newest COVID variants may not show up on home testing in the first day or two of symptoms. (Our office can test current patients with a PCR test, considered the gold standard, any time COVID-19 is suspected. However, many insurance carriers no longer cover these send-out tests, so a home test might be a better choice for many households.) To maximize the chances of an accurate home test, if the first test is negative, repeat in 1-2 days (some of the more recent Omicron subvariants peak in shedding on Day 4 of symptoms.) Any positive test is probably accurate, but a negative test that is done too early might be a false-negative.

Testing is recommended to:

1. Avoid spreading the infection to others

2. Have a clear idea of why you are sick (in case of complications)

3. Get treatment (Paxlovid) if you are in a high risk group (remember that it is not approved for children under 12 years of age)

4. To know when to get your COVID-19 vaccine (typically 3+ months after having the disease)

For more information, please go to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website