INDIANAPOLIS — CVS will begin administering Pfizer's two-shot COVID-19 vaccine to children between the ages of 12 and 15 on Thursday, when state health officials said the age group will officially be eligible for the vaccine.
The news comes after the Food and Drug Administration approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 12 on Monday. This was followed by U.S. health advisors endorsing the use of the vaccine on kids Wednesday.
Now CVS is saying 5,600 of its pharmacies nationwide will begin administering the vaccine to kids in this age group on Thursday. Parental or legal guardian consent is required, and children must be accompanied by an adult.
"With every new wave of eligibility our teams have worked around the clock to ensure vaccine access as soon as possible," said Karen Lynch, President and Chief Executive Officer, CVS Health. "Offering vaccinations to younger populations at thousands of locations across the country brings us one step closer to prevailing over the pandemic."
Pfizer's vaccine is the only vaccine available that has been approved for this age group. For this reason, CVS is encouraging people to schedule an appointment to ensure a vaccine is available. However, walk-ins will also be accepted.
The Indiana State Department of Health said Monday about 2.14 million Hoosiers — or 39.3% of Indiana’s roughly 5.3 million residents ages 16 and older — have been fully vaccinated.
Nearly 35% of the U.S. population and 44% of adults have been fully vaccinated as of Monday, according to the CDC. That means people who have received both doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Forty-six percent of the country's population and 58.2% of adults have received at least one dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
Follow these steps to register online:
- Go to ourshot.in.gov.
- Click on the link in the red box near the top of the page that says "Click here to find a vaccination site."
- Select the county you live in.
- Select a vaccine clinic available in your county.
- Select the blue link that says "Click here to register."
- Select the group you belong to and enter your date of birth.
- Certify that you are within the group selected.
- Click "Schedule an appointment."
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