Vaccine booster appointments are now competing with an influx of the newly eligible 5- to 11-year-old population.
CVS Health announced that select CVS Pharmacy locations will be offering a two-dose primary series of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 pediatric vaccine to children ages five to 11 years of age starting on Sunday, 11/7, upon receipt and confirmation of vaccine supply. This follows authorization of the vaccine by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) based on guidance from the organization’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization. Parental or legal guardian consent is required for this age group, and children must be accompanied by an adult.
“We know many parents have been waiting for the opportunity to vaccinate their young children and are looking for convenient access to a trusted resource for vaccinations,” said Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., MPH, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of CVS Health. “Our immunizers have been preparing for this important role, and stand ready to help answer parents’ questions, guide them and their children through the process, and administer the vaccines safely, with kindness and caring.”
The Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine is one-third of the adult dose and will be available at nearly 1,700 CVS Pharmacy locations in 46 states, Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. Because the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the only FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine for children in this age group, patients are strongly encouraged to schedule an appointment online at CVS.com or through the CVS App to ensure availability. The scheduling tool will only display appointments at CVS Pharmacy locations that have the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine once the patient’s age is provided.
CVS Health has administered approximately 43 million COVID-19 vaccines to date and has been administering the COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 12 years and older since authorized by the FDA and recommended for that age group by the CDC earlier this year. In addition, CVS Pharmacy has comprehensive experience in safely providing many other vaccines to children, such as seasonal flu, Tdap and chickenpox. Parents must accompany children ages five to 15 years of age, and CVS Pharmacy recommends that children wear clothing that allows easy access to their arms, such as a short sleeve shirt. As with the adult COVID-19 vaccination, children and their parent or guardian will need to remain in the pharmacy area for at least 15 minutes following vaccination for observation.
CVS Pharmacy locations that will be administering the vaccine to children ages five to 11 years were selected because these locations have vaccinators on site who are solely focused on administering vaccines. CVS vaccinators in these locations have also received additional training on managing pediatric vaccinations to help ensure the best experience for children and their families. In addition, CVS Health is developing an in-store experience focused on reassuring and supporting the child and their parent or guardian throughout the process. This includes the introduction of various child-friendly elements in the coming weeks designed to help motivate and reward the children and help keep them entertained during the post-vaccination observation period.
CVS Health has played a prominent role in administering third doses to immunocompromised patients and booster shots to eligible populations, while continuing to focus on removing the barriers that make it difficult for certain populations to easily access the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, the company has administered approximately 38 million COVID-19 tests across the country to date.
Multimedia assets, including sound bites from Stephanie Whyte, MD, a trained pediatrician and Senior Clinical Solutions Medical Director for CVS Health, and b-roll and still photography from in-store pediatric COVID-19 vaccinations, are available here.
