The Indiana Department of Health announced Friday Hoosiers 5 to 11 years old may now receive a COVID-19 booster shot.
The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorized the pediatric Pfizer booster dose earlier in the week.
In a statement, the state health department said booster doses help prevent hospitalization and death from COVID-19 and variants. Statewide cases have more than doubled in just the last month.
READ MORE: Are COVID-19 vaccines safe for kids? Here's what you need to know
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Hoosiers 5 to 11 years old who had their last COVID-19 vaccine dose at least five months ago are eligible for their booster.
There are more than 600,000 Hoosiers in that age group, but only 128,186 – or 21.1 percent – are fully vaccinated. That puts Indiana behind the national total of 29 percent.
To sign up and find a pediatric vaccine location, go to OurShot.IN.gov or call 211. Any site that offers pediatric doses can administer these booster shots and most sites accept walk-ins.
Contact Lauren at lchapman@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @laurenechapman_.
