Starting Thursday, CVS is offering COVID-19 vaccine appointments for children ages 12-15 at more than 5,600 locations nationwide. The company said by Sunday, all 9,600 locations will offer vaccinations for the adolescents, which includes 400 locations in Ohio.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine emergency use authorization for the age group Monday. Before, it had only been authorized for those 16 and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommended the vaccine for children 12-15 Wednesday, which means 17 more million Americans are now eligible for the inoculation.
“Offering vaccinations to younger populations at thousands of locations across the country brings us one step closer to prevailing over the pandemic,” said Karen Lynch, the president and CEO of CVS Health.
To ensure availability, Lynch said parents should check cvs.com or the CVS Pharmacy app for appointments. Walk-ins are also acceptable. Appointments will only be available at locations with Pfizer’s vaccine in stock since it is the only one authorized for kids 12-15.
Gov. Mike DeWine also gave providers the green light Wednesday night during a statewide address, telling them they can now allow families to schedule appointments for that age group.
“And now, everyone 12 and over can use it to protect themselves to put an invisible shield of protection around them. Everyone can now control their own health. Everyone can now control their own destiny,” DeWine said.
As of Thursday, 36% of Ohio’s population is completely vaccination whereas 41% have gotten at least the first dose, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
