What should I expect if my child develops COVID-19?  Thankfully, COVID-19 does not affect the pediatric population as severely as it does adults. As a result, COVID-19 in children is typically mild and presents similarly to other viruses that we see.  Symptoms may include up to 5 days of fever, cough, congestion, sore throat, diarrhea and general irritability. For most kids, symptoms improve significantly after 48hrs from onset of illness. To help with symptoms, please follow our general guidance for supportive care – increase hydration, place a cool mist humidifier in the room, use nasal saline and suction in the younger kids, give Tylenol and/or Ibuprofen (for kids 6+months) and allow for increased rest. Please call us if your child has fever over 5 days (or any fever if your baby is under 2 months of age), labored breathing, decreased hydration and decreased urination (defined as less than 3 voids per day), or is complaining of chest pain.

What to do if one of the parents tests positive? If possible, the parent who tests positive should limit exposure to other household members. We recognize that is common for both parents to test positive. In that case, please wear a mask around the kids and wash hands frequently. If a breastfeeding parent has COVID-19, she may continue to breastfeed with a mask on.

Vaccine for children 6mo-4yo – COVID-19 vaccines have gone through several versions. The FDA gave Emergency Use Authorization to the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for children over 6 months old in June 2022.  Mid December 2022, the bivalent booster received approval for this age group. In April 2023, the FDA updated their recommendation to use the bivalent vaccine for primary series. In September 2023, the FDA and CDC approved a new COVID-19 vaccine based on a recent Omicron variant.

Who is eligible for the vaccine right now?
Anyone over 6 months of age is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Which vaccine does BHP carry? Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines received EUA from the FDA. BHP is only giving the Pfizer vaccine at this time. Both vaccines have good efficacy against symptomatic infection and if you have a personal preference for Moderna, it is very reasonable to get the Moderna vaccine for your child.

UPDATED RECOMMENDATIONS September 13, 2023 – the Bivalent vaccine is no longer available; we are awaiting the arrival of the new monovalent COVID-19 vaccine that is based on an Omicron variant. The updated COVID-19 vaccine dose can be given 2+ months after prior COVID-19 vaccines.

Individuals 6 months through 4 years of age:

• Unvaccinated individuals: Three doses of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine are recommended over at least 11 weeks. The first two doses are administered three weeks apart. The third dose is administered at least 8 weeks after the second dose.
• Individuals who have received one dose of the prior Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine: Two doses of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine are recommended.
• Individuals who have received two doses of the prior Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine: A single dose of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech COVID 19 Vaccine is recommended at least 8 weeks after the prior Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.
• Individuals who have received three doses of the prior Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine: A single dose of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech COVID 19 Vaccine is recommended at least 2 months after the prior Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

Individuals 5 years of age and older:

• regardless of previous vaccination: A single dose of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is recommended.

Should my child get a dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine? If your child completed the primary series (3 shots of Pfizer or 2 shots of Moderna) with the prior vaccine, they are qualified for the updated dose 2 months or more after the last dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.  Boosters are particularly encouraged before travel and for individuals who have not tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 3 months.

Are there any preservatives in this vaccine? The Pfizer vaccine does not contain any preservatives, eggs or latex.

My child already had COVID-19, should they still get the vaccine? According to the most recent CDC recommendations, people who recently had COVID-19 can delay the vaccine (or the booster for older kids and adults) by 3 months from the date of infection. Studies have shown that increasing time between infection and vaccine may result in an improved immune response to the vaccine. Also, people who have had COVID-19 are very unlikely to get ill again within a 3 month period. There are exceptions to this recommendation. If a child or household member is immunocompromised, if you are expecting a new baby, if you have upcoming international travel, or if a new strain arises, you should strongly consider getting the vaccine before the 3 month interval.

Does there need to be a time interval between getting other immunizations and the COVID-19 vaccine? No. Your child can get the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines without regard to timing. This means that they can get the COVID-19 vaccine and the Flu shot on the same day or a couple of days later.

Does BHP recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for children? BHP wholeheartedly recommended the original COVID-19 vaccine and the bivalent booster. As it stands currently, many kids have already experienced COVID-19 and likely have decent immunity. We plan to carry the new updated COVID-19 vaccine and are happy to provide it for families that feel they can benefit from added protection.  

Will BHP make the vaccine mandatory to remain in our practice? No. We know that this is a very personal decision, and our goal is to support all of our patient families by providing both accurate information and our own medical opinions.  

When should my child be tested for COVID-19 if he was exposed? If your child was exposed and does not have any symptoms, the best time to test is 3-5 days after exposure.  If your child develops symptoms, he can be tested any time after symptoms become apparent. Testing immediately after exposure, or the following day, is not very useful. Testing on day 3 will catch some positives, but a negative still has to re-test on day 5.