In keeping with the Center for Disease Control’s final sign-off to Pfizer-BioNTech’s and Moderna’s kid-size coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, New York children ages six months to five years – which constitute 20 million youngsters nationwide – are now one step closer to battling the virus. This was welcome news for parents and their little ones who were among the first Americans to receive the latest vaccine at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park.

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Dr. Sophia Jan (far right), chief of general pediatrics, offered children ages six months to five years the first dose of the latest COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. Credit Northwell Health.

The young patients and their parents and grandfather – all pediatricians at the hospital – were greeted by Sophia Jan, MD, chief of general pediatrics Cohen Children’s who also administered the vaccine to the youngsters.

Noting that the availability of this vaccine means that all Americans ages 6 months and up are now eligible to be vaccinated, Dr. Jan said, “Being vaccinated at this time further ensures that our children and their families can enjoy the summer months with greater confidence in their safety. This means that 20 million additional American children can be vaccinated, an important step in getting our world back to normal by lowering COVID rates across the region and world. With this availability, virtually all Americans now have the opportunity to be vaccinated.”

The child-sized Moderna vaccine will be administered in two doses, given four weeks apart. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine involves three doses. The first two doses are given three weeks apart; the final dose is given eight weeks after the second dose.

Receiving their vaccine today were: Kevin Lazarus, 4, of Jackson Heights, Queens, accompanied by his mother, Dr. Mariecel Pilapel; Josie Welles, 2, of NYC, accompanied by her mother, Melissa Ayre and her grandfather, Dr. Mark Welles; Jackie Katzow, 2 ½, of Brooklyn, accompanied by her mother, Dr. Michelle Katzow; Luca Moore, 11 months, of Astoria, Queens, joined by his mother, Dr. Danielle Smith; and Oliver Harris, accompanied by his father, Dr. Matthew Harris.

Most of the children being vaccinated were too young to offer an opinion on the subject, but when asked by their parents if getting a shot was worth it, the panel seemed to be in total agreement. A moment of discomfort was well worth the relief of staying disease free.

About Cohen Children’s Medical Center

Founded in 1983, Cohen Children’s Medical Center is a 206-bed hospital dedicated exclusively to the care of children. The specialists in the hospital’s national and international programs cover an entire range of specialties. State-of-the-art care for children’s medical, surgical, and dental needs are provided in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The facility is the largest provider of pediatric health services in New York State, serving 2.2 million patients under the age of 18 in Nassau and Suffolk counties, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island and Westchester County. For the 16th consecutive year in 2022, Cohen was ranked among the nation’s best children’s hospitals in US News & World Report's 2022-23 “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals” survey, achieving top-40 rankings in nine of 10 pediatric specialties.

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