Moderna COVID-19 vaccine now available for kids aged 6 through 17

The Hawai‘i Department of Health has adopted the CDC recommendation that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine can be used as an option for children and adolescents ages 6 through 17.

The COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech already is available for children in this age group.

“Vaccine eligibility is now simple and easy to understand,” said Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char, FACEP. “Everyone 6-months and older is now eligible for these life-saving vaccines.”

Char encourages parents to get their kids vaccinated.

“The vaccines are safe. They are effective. They work,” she said. “This is a chance to give your child the best protection against becoming severely ill from COVID.”

Here is the Hawaiʻi DOH’s COVID-19 vaccination data on children as of June 20, 2022:

• Ages 5-11, state. There are about 118,640 children in Hawaiʻi in this age category, with 39% completing their primary series, 42% getting at least one dose and 3% getting a booster.

• Ages 5-11, Maui County: The vaccination rates are slightly lower for the 14,651 children in this age group in Maui County, with 32% completing their primary series, 37% getting at least one shot and 2% getting a booster.

• Ages 12-17, state: There are about 97,148 teens in Hawaiʻi in this category, with 74% completing the primary series, 80% getting at least one shot and 25% getting a booster.

• Ages 12-17, Maui County: The vaccination rates are slightly lower for the 11,858 children in this age group in Maui County, with 66% completing their primary series, 73% getting at least one shot and 24% getting a booster.

Last week, after CDC and FDA approval, Hawaiʻi procured lower-dose COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 6 months to under 5 years and made them available on all islands. No vaccination data is available yet for this age group.

Vaccination locations for children and adults can be found at https://hawaiicovid19.com/.