MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Now that U.S. health officials have given the final signoff to Pfizer’s kid-size COVID-19 shot, parents are wondering, where can they get their children vaccinated?
The CDC gave final approval to the vaccine doses for children ages 5 to 11 Tuesday. The Food and Drug Administration had already authorized the shots for that age group.
The vaccine — one-third the dose for teens and adults — requires two shots three weeks apart. Kids vaccinated before Thanksgiving will be fully covered by Christmas.
You can visit vaccines.gov for providers across the country. You can search by zip code.
Shelby County
The Shelby County Health Department began offering the kid-sized doses Thursday on a walk-in basis at its Immunization Clinic at 814 Jefferson Avenue. They said they will offer special extended hours from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. for vaccinations for ages 5 to 11 several days per week in November.
The Immunization Clinic will accept children and their parents on a walk-in basis until 7:30 p.m. in the evenings on the following dates:
- Week of November 8, 2021: Monday-Wednesday, November 8-10, 2021; and Friday, November 12, 2021.
- Week of November 15, 2021: Monday-Thursday, November 15-18, 2021.
- Week of November 22, 2021: Monday-Wednesday, November 22-24,2021.
- Week of November 29, 2021: Monday-Tuesday, November 29 and 30, 2021.
Children must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian with documentation of the child’s birth date (birth certificate or shot record is okay). Parents or guardians who have not been vaccinated can get theirs when the child does as well.
The Shelby County Immunization Clinic also offers Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for children age 12-17 and adults 18 and older; Moderna vaccines for adults 18 and older; and Johnson and Johnson vaccines for adults 18 and older.
Pediatric vaccinations (ages 5-11) WILL NOT be administered at drive-thru locations for now. Children 12 and up will continue to be vaccinated at drive-thru locations.
Tennessee
The Tennessee Department of Health now has COVID vaccines available for children ages 5 to 11.
Mississippi
The Mississippi State Department of Health said it will begin scheduling COVID-19 vaccinations for children 5 to 11-years-old after 7 p.m. Friday for appointments beginning Monday, November 8.
Appointments will be available at https://covidvaccine.umc.edu/ for all county health departments. Appointments can also be made by calling the COVID-19 hotline at 866-498-4948 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.
Vaccinations for all Mississippians 5 and older can also be found from other providers including healthcare providers, FQHC’s, independent and retail pharmacies.
Arkansas
The Arkansas Department of Health said its Local Health Units (LHU) are providing pediatric vaccinations. There will be at least one LHU in every county.
Upcoming clinics for the child vaccines will be held Saturday, November 6 from 8 a.m. to noon, and Monday, November 8 through Wednesday, November 10 with extended hours until 6 p.m.
Private providers
Many private providers and pharmacies are also offering the COVID-19 vaccinations for children, including CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart.