St. Charles Family Care clinics to start offering COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months and older

Central Oregon’s youngest children can begin receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at St. Charles Family Care clinics starting Monday, June 27.

The vaccine is free and can be given to children 6 months to 4 years of age. Appointments are required and can be scheduled by calling a Family Care clinic or via the MyChart patient portal.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved COVID-19 vaccination for young children who are at least 6 months old.

“This is important progress in our fight against COVID-19,” said Dr. Cynthia Maree, St. Charles’ medical director of infection prevention. “Vaccines continue to be effective at preventing severe illness and hospitalization. In children, they also help prevent multisystem inflammatory syndrome and may prevent long COVID.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorization because clinical trials—which included more than 4,500 children and continued during different phases of the Omicron wave—proved it is safe and effective. The FDA also gave emergency use authorization for the Moderna vaccine, but for efficiency, St. Charles is only offering the Pfizer vaccine.

For the 6-months to 4-years-old age group, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be delivered in three doses, with two doses spaced three weeks apart and followed by a third dose at least two months later. Each shot has less vaccine in it than the dosage for older children and adults. Vaccination is considered most effective seven days after the third dose.

“COVID-19 is still in Central Oregon and is still a threat to our children,” Maree said. “I strongly recommend parents discuss vaccination with their pediatrician if they have more questions.”

To schedule an appointment:

Bend East Family Care Clinic
2600 Northeast Neff Road
541-706-4800

Bend South Family Care Clinic
61250 Southeast Coombs Place
541-706-5935

La Pine Family Care Clinic
51781 Huntington Road
541-907-7040

Madras Family Care Clinic
480 Northeast A Street
541-475-4800

Prineville Family Care Clinic
384 Southeast Combs Flat Road
541-447-6263

Redmond Family Care Clinic
211 Northwest Larch Avenue
541-548-2164

Sisters School-Based Health Center
535 N Reed Street
541-526-6623

About St. Charles Health System

St. Charles Health System, Inc., headquartered in Bend, Ore., owns and operates St. Charles Bend, Madras, Prineville and Redmond. It also owns family care clinics in Bend, La Pine, Madras, Prineville, Redmond and Sisters. St. Charles is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,500 caregivers. In addition, there are more than 350 active medical staff members and nearly 200 visiting medical staff members who partner with the health system to provide a wide range of care and service to our communities.

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St. Charles Health System pediatric experts are here to provide the best care possible for critically-ill and injured children and their families, in a quiet, safe wing of our Bend hospital. As the only designated Pediatric Inpatient Unit in Central Oregon, our specialists provide care for:

• Respiratory illnesses
• Childhood diabetes
• Gastrointestinal illnesses
• Heart conditions
• Neurologic conditions
• Pre- and post-surgical conditions
• Urinary tract infections
• Traumatic injuries

We also provide supplemental care for children being treated by physicians at other major hospitals. This allows your child to remain close to home during treatment and therapy.

Each member of our multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses and support staff is certified to treat children and our shared goal is to treat the whole child: body, mind and spirit. To provide the most consistent high-quality care, specially-trained doctors called pediatric hospitalists work only in the Pediatric Care Unit, collaborating with their patients’ primary care doctors while staying in close communication with parents to include them in every aspect of their child’s care.

A pediatric cardiologist from St. Charles Heart and Lung Center is always available and our support staff includes a diabetes educator, asthma educator, social workers, pharmacists, and dietitians to give families the information and the tools they need in the hospital and at home.

Respect and Safety for Your Family

To respect the physical and emotional needs of children and their families, we offer private examination and treatment rooms. Your family’s security is a top priority, so we keep the Pediatric Care Unit locked at all times and provide space to allow a parent to be present 24 hours a day.

Want to learn more about our expert pediatric care? We encourage you to call us at 541-382-4321 for more information.

St. Charles Health System has a team of pediatric physicians and specialists who have long been recognized as leaders in treating children in Central Oregon.