Where to Get the COVID Vaccine for Young Children
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was officially recommended by the Centers for Disease Control last night , but the pharmacy websites I checked at the time were not yet ready to offer baby-friendly receptions. By the time I woke up this morning, I could make an appointment for the next week. So keep in mind: they fill up quickly.
While you may be accustomed to going for flu shots (and maybe you got your own COVID vaccine as a pass), we hear that you shouldn’t expect you to get the vaccine due to a combination of pharmacies shortage staff and demand for both boosters and infant vaccines. It’s best to make an appointment, and don’t be surprised if it turns up a few days or weeks in the future.
Also, keep in mind that the Pfizer vaccine is the only option for children under 18 (the CDC has a handy table showing age groups that can get which vaccine). People 12 and older are given the same vaccinations as adults, but a pediatric version should be available at the pharmacy or clinic for young children. It comes in a different dose and packaging from Pfizer Adult Vaccine.
Due to these factors, not all pharmacies or clinics that offer the COVID vaccine will be able to offer this COVID vaccine. In addition, even though the vaccine began to go on sale before the recommendation became official, some places may not have received the vaccine yet. To make an appointment as soon as possible, be flexible in your location and keep checking back if you can’t find it right away.
Here are some of the places that will allow you to make appointments for kids ages 5-11 at the time of this writing:
- Cvs
- Walgreens (from Nov 6, but you can book now)
- Rite-Aid (Starts Nov 4th, but you can book now)
- Walmart (there were no appointments available next to me when I looked, but they allowed me to log into the booking system when I entered my 6-year-old’s date of birth)
We will update this list as more vendors start offering appointments.
Other places to check who might get the vaccine or who plans to get vaccinated soon include:
- Your pediatrician’s office
- Your child’s school or school district
- Local Children’s Hospitals
- Community centers
Vaccines.gov is not yet updated so you can find a pediatric vaccine, but expect to be updated soon.
Updated on 11/3/2021 at 5:00 PM to enable Rite-Aid.