COVID 19 vaccinations are now available to millions of elementary-age children, a huge breakthrough in the pandemic vaccination effort, according to health officials.
The federal government has pledged enough vaccine to safeguard the country’s 28 million children aged 5 to 11, and has assured that the deployment will not be as constrained as it was for adults.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children overcame two last barriers on Tuesday: a recommendation from CDC experts and approval from Dr. Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Where can I get my child vaccinated against COVID-19?
CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid are among the major pharmacy and drugstore companies that have announced plans to begin immunizations for children aged 5 to 11 in the near future. On Wednesday, pediatricians’ offices and hospitals began inoculating youngsters, with schools and other locations expected to follow suit in the coming days.
How do I schedule a COVID-19 immunization appointment for my child at CVS?
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 will be available at select CVS pharmacy locations beginning Sunday, Nov. 7.
The pediatric vaccine is currently available at 1,700 CVS Health sites, according to the company. Parents should make an appointment by visiting CVS.com or using the CVS pharmacy app.
During the 15-minute post-vaccination observation time, CVS Health hopes to incorporate “child-friendly components in the coming weeks meant to assist incentivize and reward the children and keep them entertained.”
How to schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment for your child at Walgreens
Starting Saturday, Nov. 6, Walgreens will begin providing the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 in thousands of stores.
Appointments are now available, according to the firm, and may be scheduled via the appointment planner at Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine, the Walgreens app, or by calling 1-800-Walgreens.
According to the notice made on Wednesday, additional appointments will be added in the following weeks as Walgreens receives extra vaccination doses.
Walgreens said that appointments will be available exclusively for after-school hours, with some shops offering additional Saturday appointments through Nov. 20.
Activity sheets, stickers, and Tootsie Pops will be available in stores to assist children pass the time during the obligatory 15-minute post-vaccination observation period.
How to schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment for your children at Walmart or Sam’s Club
According to Lisa Smith, Walmart’s Sr. Director of Clinical Strategy and Operations, children’s COVID-19 immunizations will be available “beginning later this week” at Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies.
The pediatric vaccine will be available in over 5,100 pharmacies, according to Smith, though supplies may be limited at first.
Parents and guardians can utilize Walmart’s online appointment scheduler to find a Pfizer vaccine that is currently available in their area. When you filter by age, the tool will show you where you can get the Pfizer vaccine for kids in your area.
According to Smith’s post, walk-ins will be permitted dependent on availability.
Visit Walmart.com/covidvaccine or samsclub.com/pharmacy/immunizations to find a COVID-19 vaccine at a Walmart or Sam’s Club.
How to schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment for your child at Rite Aid
Rite Aid said on Wednesday that pediatric COVID-19 immunizations would begin at selected store locations on Saturday, Nov. 6.
Beginning Thursday, Nov. 4, the first appointments will be available through Rite Aid’s online scheduling tool.
How do I schedule a COVID-19 immunization appointment for my children at Hy-Vee?
Hy-Vee has announced that it is currently accepting appointments for the pediatric Pfizer COVID-19 immunization at select pharmacy locations. Because there is a limited supply of doses, the company stated that walk-ins will not be welcomed at this time.
Parents and legal guardians can utilize Hy-online Vee’s planner to find out where the kids-sized doses are currently accessible.
Thousands of pediatricians pre-ordered tablets, and Pfizer began shipping them shortly after the Food and Drug Administration approved emergency usage on Friday. In the next days, Pfizer aims to dispatch 19,000 shipments totaling around 11 million doses, with millions more accessible to order on a weekly basis.
Two doses, three weeks apart, plus two additional weeks for full protection, are required for the vaccine, which is one-third the dose given to older children and adults and administered with kid-sized needles. That means that youngsters who get immunized before Thanksgiving will be protected until Christmas.
Credit: Foxnews