ERIE COUNTY, NY— The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) will offer COVID-19 vaccine booster doses to eligible children ages 5 to 11 years old beginning Friday, May 27 at county-run clinics. The full schedule of ECDOH clinics is posted at www.erie.gov/vax, or call (716) 858-2929. COVID-19 vaccine is also available at the Jesse Nash Health Center at 608 William Street, Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on days that the ECDOH health clinics are open.

Children ages 5 to 11 years old are eligible to receive Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose at least five months after completing the two-dose Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine series. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for a booster dose in this age range in May. ECDOH COVID-19 vaccine clinics offer first and second doses, additional doses for individuals with severely immunocompromising conditions, and booster doses for all eligible.

“You can think of COVID-19 vaccines as working like a battery,” explained Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein. “The initial series give you protection against illness, but its protection can fade over time, much like a phone battery’s charge.” She continued, “Booster doses do exactly that – boosting your immunity, adding to your body’s ability to fight off infection.”

Detailed information about booster dose eligibility is available at the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) web site: http://www.ny.gov/boosters. Erie County residents should speak to their health care provider with questions.

ECDOH COVID-19 vaccine clinics are not currently offering the Janssen (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine.