There are currently three COVID vaccines available to the public, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen. Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen are approved for use in patients 18 years old and older. The Pfizer vaccine is approved down to 16 years of age. If your child is 16 years or older and has one of the following medical conditions they might be eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine.
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Down Syndrome
- Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Organ transplantation
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Sickle cell disease
- Type 2 diabetes
Currently the hospital systems in our city are starting to reach out to their patients who are served by their pediatric specialists and are in these groups. You will be contacted by them to have the vaccine administered to your child.
For other age groups, the necessity, safety, and efficacy of each vaccine will need to be proven before a recommendation can be made. Current studies include children as young as 12 years of age. These will progressively be expanded to younger age groups. We are many months away from these groups being vaccinated.
Blue Fish Pediatrics is currently awaiting authorization to administer the COVID vaccine to our patients for whom it is recommended. Currently, in the state of Texas, only clinics who vaccinate the public at large are being supplied with the vaccines. We will provide updates as we hopefully move into a phase where pediatric clinics are provided with vaccine for their specific patient population.
To view facilities that have been allocated COVID-19 vaccines throughout Houston and the surrounding areas, please visit here.
You can register here to be put on the waitlist for Memorial Hermann.
If you’re having difficulty scheduling an appointment you can join a standby list here, to get connected with local providers with extra doses.
For information about the various COVID vaccines, visit here.