Children ages 5 to 11 can finally be inoculated against COVID-19, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) making a lower-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine available to millions of kids nationwide via pharmacies, county-run clinics and other health providers.
Federal officials on Tuesday gave the final signoff to Pfizer’s two-dose, kid-size COVID-19 shot, a milestone that opens a major expansion of the nation’s vaccination campaign to children as young as 5. The decision marks the first opportunity for Americans under 12 to get the powerful protection of any COVID-19 vaccine.
With the CDC’s approval, several D.C. region health agencies have put out information on how parents can bring their child to get vaccinated, including finding a location and making an appointment. See a list of county guidance below.
DC
Dozens of pharmacies, hospitals and health centers across all eight of the District’s wards will begin vaccinating newly-eligible age groups over the coming days and weeks. While some sites could start vaccinating children under 12 on Wednesday, most clinics won’t stock their pediatric Pfizer doses until later this week.
Parents are encouraged to check D.C.’s vaccination site for updates on what locations are currently offering the vaccines. On Tuesday, D.C. officials published a list of over 60 sites slated to receive pediatric doses.
CVS Health said two of its D.C. pharmacies are accepting eligible children under 12. Parents can schedule an appointment online at cvs.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app. Once a child’s age is provided, their scheduling tool will only display appointments at locations administering the pediatric vaccine.
Giant Pharmacy said in a statement that it will also offering vaccines for children ages 5-11 years old. Customers are asked to visit its website to find the nearest pharmacy and set up an appointment. The grocery chain said it is also offering COVID-19 booster shots for all three approved vaccines.
The District will also host pop-up vaccination clinics at these schools beginning this weekend. Appointments are not required. First doses will be offered on the following dates:
Ward 1
- Marie Reed Elementary School: Nov. 12
Ward 2
- Garrison Elementary School: Nov. 17
- Thomson Elementary School: Nov. 12
Ward 3
- Ben Murch Elementary School: Nov. 13
- Janney Elementary School: Nov. 19
- Palisades Recreation Center: Nov. 16
Ward 4
- E.L. Haynes PCS: Nov. 18
- Lafayette Elementary School: Nov. 19
- Whittier Elementary School: Nov. 20
Ward 5
- Bunker Hill Elementary School: Nov. 18
- Center City Public Charter School, Trinidad Campus: Nov. 17
- DC Bilingual PCS: Nov. 20
Ward 6
- KIPP DC — Lead Academy PCS: Nov. 16
- Payne Elementary School: Nov. 13
Ward 7
- Friendship Blow Pierce Elementary and Middle: Nov. 12
- Plummer Elementary School: Nov. 17
- Smothers Elementary School: Nov. 13
- Thomas Elementary School: Nov. 19
Ward 8
- Center City PCS, Congress Heights: Nov. 18
- Excel Academy Public School: Nov. 16
- Turner Elementary School: Nov. 20
Montgomery County
Appointments are required for children, and can be made on the county’s clinic locater.
Montgomery County health officials say that they expected 40,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine authorized for kids ages 5-11 and that two thirds of the doses would be allocated to private providers, including pediatric practices, hospitals and pharmacies. The remaining one third would go to the county health department, which is setting up clinics.
More information will be found at Montgomery County’s COVID-19 vaccine portal as it becomes available.
Prince George’s County
County health officials will hold afterschool mobile clinics at some public high schools starting Monday, Nov. 8, for children ages 5 to 11. There are also plans to run pop-up clinics at elementary schools, but as of Wednesday morning, that list hadn’t been finalized.
Eligible children can also get the vaccine at the Sports and Learning Complex clinic in Landover. Pharmacies and pediatric care providers will also be offering the shot. Find nearby clinics by using the county’s vaccine clinic locator.
See a list of high schools offering vaccine clinics below. Walk-ins will be accepted, but appointments are encouraged; scheduling will be made available soon.
Monday clinics: First doses will be offered Nov. 15 and Nov. 22. Second doses will be offered Nov. 29, Dec. 6 and Dec. 13.
- Laurel High School: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Charles Herbet Flowers High School, Springdale: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Gwynn Park High School, Brandywine: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Tuesday clinics: First doses will be offered Nov. 16 and Nov. 23. Second doses will be offered Nov. 30, Dec. 7 and Dec. 14.
- Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Greenbelt: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Bladensburg High School, Bladensburg: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Henry A. Wise High School, Upper Marlboro: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday clinics: First doses will be offered Nov. 17 and Nov. 24. Second doses will be offered Dec. 1, Dec. 8 and Dec. 15.
- Northwestern High School, Adelphi: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Fairmont Heights High School, Landover: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Oxon Hill High School: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday clinics: First doses will be offered Nov. 18. Second doses will be offered Dec. 9.
- Bowie High School: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Suitland High School, District Heights: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Friendly High School, Fort Washington: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday clinics: First doses will be offered Nov. 12 and Nov. 19. Second doses will be offered Dec. 3 and Dec. 10.
- High Point High School, Beltsville: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Surrattsville High School, Clinton: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Crossland High School, Camp Springs: 4 p.m. 8 p.m.
Dr. George Askew, the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Health, Human Services and Education, said that the county worked with the school system to make certain mobile clinics were accessible to families.
“We also wanted to make it available in the neighborhoods where folks are so they can walk,” Askew said. “It just makes it much more convenient.”
Askew said vaccines for adults will be available at the Prince George’s County clinics.
“If they’re coming for boosters, we’ll have those available as well,” he said.
Askew explained why health officials are so eager to make sure that everyone can be vaccinated.
“The battle is going to truly to be one by getting folks vaccinated” he said. “We’re about to be entering holiday season, so folks are going to be gathering” and while Askew said that is cause for celebration, the efforts to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission remain a priority. “We want to make sure we drive the numbers down as much as possible right now to prevent a big surge.”
Anne Arundel County
Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman said the county will offer vaccinations for children at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold: “While we expect there to be more demand than supply for a short period of time, I want to encourage parents to get their children vaccinated as soon as they are able,” Pittman said.
Once posted, they’ll be found at aacounty.org/covidvax.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools are also coordinating with health officials to set up on-site clinics at elementary schools starting the week of Nov. 8.
More than 30 chain pharmacies and 10 pediatricians will receive doses, and Pittman encouraged parents to contact their child’s health care provider to determine whether they can get vaccinated through their office.
The following, smaller pharmacies are also expected to have limited access as the state receives more doses from the federal government:
- Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC)
- Broadneck Pharmacy
- Lake Shore Drugs
- Allswell Pharmacy
- Jai Pharmacy
- Soleil Pharmacy
- Quarterfield Pharmacy
Charles County
In Charles County, free clinics will be available.
Families can register children ages 5 and older for clinics by going to the county’s COVID response website.
Fairfax County
Health officials in Fairfax County are offering the vaccine to kids by appointment only. Pediatric care providers, family medical practices, local pharmacies and the Tysons Community Vaccination Center will have it on hand.
Families can go to vaccines.gov to schedule an appointment with a local pharmacy or the health department, or schedule an appointment at the Tysons Community Vaccination Center at vase.vdh.virginia.gov.
The shot will be offered at the Inova Center for Personalized Health in Fairfax, and there’ll be therapy dogs and Star Wars characters to comfort kids.
Starting Nov. 16, the Fairfax Health Department and Fairfax County Public Schools will partner to offer the child-size dose of the Pfizer vaccine at walk-up clinics outside of nine schools after school hours, on weekends and evenings. A full list of the schools that will be hosting clinics along with the dates and times of those clinics is available online.
Children ages 5 to 11 years old are welcome, whether or not they are students of a given school, and homeschooled children will be allowed as well. Children over 12 years old will not be administered vaccines at these clinics.
Loudoun County
Loudoun parents can schedule an appointment at the county-run Dulles Town Center clinic online. When scheduling, select the clinic named: “Ages 5-11 COVID-19 Vaccinations — Loudoun.”
Medical offices and retail pharmacies are also expected to offer pediatric doses; Loudoun County recommends parents check with their child’s pediatrician or visit vaccines.gov for other providers.
Arlington County
Arlington Public Schools are working with health officials on a plan to roll out the vaccine for students. County officials anticipate holding clinics and scheduling appointments by mid-November.
“Once approved, we will inform the community about the availability of doses and how to schedule appointments,” the school system said on its website.
Prince William County
Vaccines are available for children in the Prince William Health District. The vaccine clinic at the old Gander Mountain store will offer vaccines to children ages 5 to 11. A second location will be at the Manassas Mall clinic.
The Associated Press and WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.
