Oct. 14, 2022

Children ages 5-11 are eligible for updated COVID-19 boosters; appointments may be limited at first

Updated COVID-19 boosters are now authorized and recommended for children as young as 5. These "bivalent" boosters provide better protection against Omicron variants of COVID-19, which are causing most of the cases in Washington state and throughout the country. 

Local immunization providers, including Kitsap Public Health, will begin offering booster appointments for children ages 5-11 as vaccine supplies are received. We expect supplies of the updated Pfizer booster to arrive within the next few days. A limited supply of the updated Moderna booster is already available. Contact your family's regular healthcare provider or check our vaccine clinic listings for updates. 

Kitsap Public Health will be providing the updated boosters at its regular clinics on Wednesdays and Thursdays in downtown Bremerton. As of Friday afternoon, a small number of appointments were open for our clinics on Oct. 19 and 20, with Moderna boosters available for children as young as 6. Registration for our clinics opens one week prior to the clinic date. Visit the clinic calendar on our vaccine page to check for available appointments. 

What to know about updated (bivalent) boosters

Why were the boosters updated?

Like all viruses, the virus that causes COVID-19 continues to change and adapt. The updated booster shots were developed to provide better protection against widely spreading Omicron variants of the virus, including BA.4 and BA.5. 

Who can get the updated boosters?

Anyone who is 5 and older and has completed their primary COVID-19 vaccination series can get an updated booster. You must wait at least two months after your most recent COVID-19 vaccine dose to get an updated booster. 

• Anyone 5 or older can get the Pfizer booster. 
• Anyone 6 or older can get the Moderna booster. 

Mix and match: You can choose either the Moderna or Pfizer booster. It does not matter which COVID-19 vaccine or booster you originally received. 

LEARN MORE:

• FDA authorization announcement
• CDC recommendation announcement
• Washington State Department of Health announcement
• CDC booster page

CLINIC INFORMATION

• Help keep our clinics safe for all! If you have symptoms of COVID-19, have tested positive for COVID-19, or have been exposed to COVID-19, please follow CDC guidance and wait 10 days before coming to one of our vaccination clinics. 
• Masks: All patients and employees are required to wear masks at vaccination clinics. 
• There is no charge for vaccination and insurance is not required. Vaccination is available to everyone regardless of citizenship or immigration status.
• For additional assistance, call 360-728-2007 (for Spanish, 360-728-2218), or email immunizations@kitsappublichealth.org.

KITSAP PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT CLINICS

Appointments are required for booster doses. If you need a primary series dose, please contact us at 360-728-2007 or email immunizations@kitsappublichealth.org.

LOCATION

• Kitsap Public Health District, Norm Dicks Government Center,  345 6th St., Suite 300, Bremerton.

HOURS

• 12:30 - 3:15 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays

APPOINTMENTS

• Use our clinic calendar to find and book an appointment.
• Check in at our reception area on the third floor when you arrive for your appointment. 

VACCINE AVAILABLE

• Pfizer primary series for ages 5-11 
• Pfizer primary series for ages 12+
• Pfizer bivalent booster for ages 5-11+*
  • Pending vaccine shipments. 
• Pfizer bivalent booster for ages 12+
• Moderna primary series for ages 6-11  
• Moderna primary series for ages 12+ 
• Moderna bivalent booster for ages 6+*
  • *Children ages 6-11 receive a smaller dose than adults. 
• Novavax for ages 12+
  • Two-dose primary series. 

CONTACT: pio@kitsappublichealth.org