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Vaccine for children and teens
Information for parents, caregivers, youth, schools, and organizations about getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
May 31, 2024
Everyone 6 months to 64 years should get one dose of the updated (2023-24) COVID-19 vaccine. People 65 and older should get an additional dose of the updated (2023-24) COVID-19 vaccine.
Check with your pharmacy, healthcare provider, or visit Vaccines.gov to search for appointments. Call ahead to make sure they have the type of COVID-19 vaccine you need.
Who is eligible
An updated COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older.
Children aged 6 months–5 years need multiple doses of COVID-19 vaccine to be up to date, including at least 1 updated dose of Pfizer or Moderna. It depends on the number of doses they’ve previously received and their age.
Please check with your healthcare provider if you have questions about how many doses you need.
What to bring to your vaccine appointment
- Identification with date of birth: state, tribe, or federal-issued ID. A billing or bank statement with your name and address can also be used.
- Health insurance card. Let your provider know if you do not have insurance. Some clinics and pharmacies can provide COVID-19 vaccine at no cost.
- Wear short sleeves or loose-fitting sleeves that are easy to roll up so that you can get vaccinated in your upper arm.
- Your CDC vaccination card if you are getting a second dose or booster dose. The record of your new dose will be added to the card. If you do not have your card, check ahead with your vaccination site.
- Authorized adult consent: If you are younger than 18 years old, you may need consent from an authorized adult to get the vaccine. You can consent for yourself if you are emancipated, married to an adult, or the vaccine site determines you are a mature minor. Not all vaccine sites are able to make mature minor determinations.
- Adult who has court permission to make health care decisions for you (legal guardian, custodian, out-of-home placement order)
- Parent
- Adult who has your parent's written permission to make health care decisions for you
- Adult relative responsible for your health care
- In some circumstances, a school nurse, school counselor, or homeless student liaison
Authorized adults who may consent for minors include:
If an authorized adult will not attend the vaccine appointment with you, check with your vaccine provider about requirements for showing proof of authorized adult consent or legal emancipation.
Downloadable materials
Print Ultra Germ Fighters as a booklet or as individual activity pages. They include mazes, comics, find-it activities, and coloring for children ages 5-8 along with information about childhood vaccines for families.
Available as PDF in the following languages. Note: except for Spanish, the cover and pages for children are in English. The information for families on the last page is translated.
አማርኛ (Amharic) | العربية (Arabic) | 简体字 (Chinese, Sim.) | 繁體字 (Chinese, Trad.) | دری (Dari) | English | Français (French) | ភាសាខ្មែរ (Khmer) | 한국어 (Korean) | Kajin M̧ajeļ (Marshallese) | Cuyamecalco Mixtec (Mixteca Baja) | Afaan Oromoo (Oromo) | پښتو (Pashto) | Русский (Russian) | Gagana fa'a Sāmoa (Samoan) | Af Soomaali (Somali) | Español (Spanish) | Kiswahili (Swahili) | Wikang Tagalog/Filipino (Tagalog/Filipino) | ትግርኛ (Tigrinya) | Lea faka-Tonga (Tongan) | Українська (Ukrainian) | Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese) |
Pediatric COVID-19 vaccines: what parents/guardians should know
This flyer from Washington Department of Health explains the importance of getting COVID‑19 vaccinations for children and answers common questions that families have.
العربية (Arabic) | 简体字 (Chinese, Sim.) | 繁體字 (Chinese, Trad.) | English | हिन्दी (Hindi) | ភាសាខ្មែរ (Khmer) | 한국어 (Korean) | Kajin M̧ajeļ (Marshallese) | ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Punjabi) | Русский (Russian) | Gagana fa’a Sāmoa (Samoan) | Af Soomaali (Somali) | Español (Spanish) | Filipino (Tagalog) | తెలుగు (Telugu) | Українська (Ukrainian) | Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
This form is used at Public Health – Seattle & King County vaccination sites, including the Kent Vaccination Partnership Sites and Public Health clinics. If an authorized adult will not attend the vaccine appointment with you, this form can be used as written consent. Public Health staff can also accept verbal consent over the phone or a written note from an authorized adult. If your vaccine appointment is not at a Public Health site, check with your vaccine provider about requirements for showing proof of authorized adult consent or legal emancipation.
Available as PDF in the following languages:
አማርኛ (Amharic) | العربية (Arabic) | 简体字 (Chinese, Sim.) | 繁體字 (Chinese, Trad.) | دری (Dari) | English | فارسی (Farsi) | Français (French) | 日本語 (Japanese) | ភាសាខ្មែរ (Khmer) | 한국어 (Korean) | Kajin M̧ajeļ (Marshallese) | Afaan Oromoo (Oromo) | Русский (Russian) | Gagana fa'a Sāmoa (Samoan) | af Soomaali (Somali) | Español (Spanish) | Filipino (Tagalog) | ትግርኛ (Tigrinya) | lea faka-Tonga (Tongan) | Українська (Ukrainian) | Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese) |
Videos
Q&A with Dr. Ben: Vaccines for kids
Parents have questions about COVID-19 vaccines. Beloved local pediatrician Dr. Ben Danielson is here to help.
- Is this the same as the COVID-19 vaccine for adults?
- How do I know the COVID-19 vaccine is safe for kids?
- What are the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine for kids?
- Should I get my kid vaccinated if they already had COVID-19?
- Will the vaccine affect puberty or fertility in kids?
See all the videos: Q&A with Dr. Ben: Vaccines for kids
Kids ask Dr. Ben Danielson about COVID-19 vaccines for 5 to 11 year olds
Beloved local pediatrician Dr. Ben Danielson answers some common questions from kids about the vaccines. This is a great video for parents to watch with their children before going to get the shot!
- Do I still need the vaccine if I got COVID-19 already?
- Do kids get very sick from COVID-19?
- What does it feel like after the shot?
Videos about vaccine for children in Spanish and Somali
The trusted pharmacist Dr. Luis Navarro answers some common questions in Spanish from parents about the COVID-19 vaccines for children.
- ¿Por qué necesito vacunarme contra el COVID-19?
- ¿Cómo me voy a sentir después de la vacuna?
- ¿Por qué necesito vacunarme contra el COVID-19 si los niños no se enferman mucho?
- ¿Necesito vacunarme si ya me he enfermado con COVID-19?
Dr. Helen Stankiewicz Karita from the UW answers families’ common questions in Spanish.
- ¿Qué contiene la vacuna contra el COVID-19 infantil?
- ¿Es realmente segura la vacuna contra el COVID-19 para niños pequeños?
- ¿Cuáles son los efectos secundarios de la vacuna?
- ¿Por qué es necesario vacunar a niños tan pequeños?
- ¿Puede la vacuna afectar el desarrollo del niño?
Vea todos los videos en español con la Dra. Helen: Las vacunas contra el COVID para niños: con Dra. Helen
Trusted leaders Dr. Ahmed Ali and Dr. Iman Yunis from Othello Pharmacy answer common questions about COVID-19 vaccine for children in Somali.
- Part 1: Wax ka ogow tallaalka COVID-19 ee caruurta, Warbixintii Dr. Ahmed Ali Othello Pharmacy
- Part 2: Wax yaabaha ay tahay inaad ka ogaato ballanta tallaalka COVID-19 ee ilmahaaga | Dr. Iman Yunis
- Part 3: Wax yaabaha ay tahay inaad ogaato kadib marka ilmahaagu qaato tallaalka COVID-19
- Part 4: Maxaa la gudboon waalidiinta kadib marka la ansixiyo tallaalka covid ee caruurta 6-da bilood
Guidance for schools, childcare, and youth organizations
Information from the Washington Department of Health: