SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Parents can get their young children vaccinated against COVID-19 at Walgreens locations starting this weekend.
Walgreens said it will begin administering Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to 5-11 year olds nationwide on Saturday. The pharmacy store emphasized how holiday travel could put the kids at risk of catching the virus.
Parents and legal guardians can schedule an appointment starting Wednesday, however. Visit their website or call 1-800-Walgreens.
The Food and Drug Administration has authorized the vaccine for the younger age group, with kids getting about one-third of the dose that is given to adults and teens.
Then, a CDC advisory panel on Tuesday unanimously endorsed giving Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to the 28 million children in that 5-11 age group.
Vaccinating the kids “is a major step forward for our nation in our fight to defeat the virus,” President Joe Biden said after the CDC recommendation.
With the expectation that it would be approved, Pfizer had already begun shipping its kid-sized doses to providers across the country.
The children are supposed to get two doses, three weeks apart to be effective. It will also be administered with a smaller needle.
The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are not currently authorized for children.
