Demand is high for kids’ COVID-19 vaccines. Here is how to make an appointment for your child.

South Florida Sun Sentinel - 11/3/2021

COVID-19 vaccine supply for children will be plentiful in South Florida, with pharmacies, hospitals and even local schools announcing they all plan to offer the shots.

The demand for children’s COVID vaccines is high: The initial rush started Wednesday with parents making appointments to get their young children ages 5 to 11 vaccinated. Pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens allowed parents to make appointments online for slots beginning on Saturday. And by mid-morning, many of the weekend times were filled.

Broward County Public Schools, through its partnership with the Florida Department of Health in Broward, will make vaccines available to children 5 to 11 at district elementary and middle schools as early as next week. Broward County,

“Parents will receive details directly from their respective schools,” said Keyla Concepcion, with Broward County Public Schools. “Vaccination is voluntary and requires parental consent. The schedule is currently being finalized.”

Beginning Thursday, Nov. 4, Palm Beach County Schools also will offer the children’s vaccines on-site in mobile units at certain public elementary and middle schools.

“No appointment or insurance is needed, the vaccinations will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis,” said a letter sent out Wednesday to parents from Palm Beach Schools. “Children aged 5-17 require a signed consent from their parent or guardian, and a parent or guardian must also be present with the child at the time of the vaccination.”

For a complete list of the vaccination sites on Palm Beach County School District property, visit the District’s Pfizer Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine Sites webpage.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on the recommendation late Tuesday giving clearance for U.S. children 5 to 11 to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

Some vaccine clinics, children’s hospitals and pediatricians’ offices across the country have received shipments of Pfizer’s one-third-sized vaccine for children and are taking appointments to give out shots. Federal health officials project that in the first week, 15 million doses of the two-shot regimen will be shipped.

Walgreens

A Walgreens statement said parents or legal guardians can schedule an appointment by visiting Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine, the Walgreens app or calling 1-800-Walgreens. Additional appointments will be available over the coming weeks as Walgreens receives more doses, the company said. Its pharmacies are offering flu shots to children at the same time.

CVS

A spokeswoman for CVS Health said 189 locations in Florida are accepting appointments for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 pediatric vaccine, with shots starting on Sunday. Parental or legal guardian consent is required, and children must be accompanied by an adult.

You can schedule an appointment online at cvs.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app to ensure availability. The CVS scheduling tool will only display appointments at CVS Pharmacy locations that have the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine once the patient’s age is provided, said Shannon Dillon of CVS Health.

Publix

Pfizer doses for children ages 5 to 11 will be available as select pharmacies receive the vaccine over the next few days, said Maria Brous, Publix’s communications director. “We’ll provide more details once they’re available.”

Vaccination sites

Department of Health sites in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade will have pediatric doses of Pfizer at some existing vaccination sites. Alexander Shaw, communications director for Florida Department of Health Palm Beach said the doses for children will be available at the same locations that were vaccinating the 12+ group, including mobile sites.

Parents can go to vaccines.gov and filter on vaccines for children 5-11 to find a location near them that is offering the shot.

“We ordered ours and are waiting for shipment to come in,” Dr. Alina Alonso, Palm Beach Health Department director, told the Palm Beach County Commission on Tuesday. “We have our teams ready to start vaccinating. The physicians’ offices have also ordered their vaccines and we are willing to help anybody who needs help with this.”

Alonso urged parents to make appointments. “There’s no need to wait in line. There’s plenty of vaccines. If you make your appointments, you will be able to have it without waiting or lines,” she said.

The Health Care District of Palm Beach County, which operates walk-up vaccination sites, is developing a detailed plan to provide additional walk-up access for children ages 5 to 11, said Robin Kish, a spokeswoman for the district.

Hospitals, pediatrician offices

The recommendation to vaccinate children ages 5-11 against COVID-19 by the CDC and FDA is good news for families who have been waiting for their younger children to have a layer of protection against the virus, said Kerting Baldwin, public information officer for Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood. “As soon as we receive the vaccine, we will open appointments to inoculate children.”

Pediatric Associates, which locations throughout South Florida, is preparing to launch designated COVID-19 vaccine clinics for patients ages 5 to 11 in select offices, a spokeswoman said.

Just like with adults, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 is given as a two-dose series, three weeks apart.

Florida Atlantic University’s Joanna Drowos, associate chair of the Department of Integrated Medical Science, notes that a study found kid-size doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were 91 percent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19, with similar or fewer side effects than in adults.

“Vaccinating your child can help keep them from getting seriously sick even if they do get COVID-19,” Drowos said.

A study found kid-size doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were 91 percent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19, developing antibodies as strong as those of teens and young adults who got regular doses, with similar or fewer side effects.

Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com.