Where Can I Find a COVID-19 Vaccine for My Kids?

Now that the COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for teens, it should be easy for your kids to get vaccinated and protected.

Nearly 9 million children are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 already!

A good supply of COVID-19 vaccine in most areas should also help make it easy.

Can I Get a COVID-19 Vaccine for My Kids?

Before you even start looking for a COVID-19 vaccine dose for your kids, you should understand that:

the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is FDA approved for those 16 years and above
the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has an EUA for those 12 to 16 yearsof age
the Janssen and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines have an EUA for those 18 years and above

“Current evidence on which underlying medical conditions in children are associated with increased risk is limited. Children with the following conditions might be at increased risk for severe illness: obesity, medical complexity, severe genetic disorders, severe neurologic disorders, inherited metabolic disorders, sickle cell disease, congenital (since birth) heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, asthma and other chronic lung disease, and immunosuppression due to malignancy or immune-weakening medications.”
People with Certain Medical Conditions at Increased Risk for Severe COVID-19

So for now, you will have to wait to get kids under age 12 years vaccinated, unless they participate in a clinical trial.

You will also want to make sure that your child doesn’t have any contraindications or precautions to getting vaccinated:

~~your COVID-19 vaccine should be given at least 14 days before or after other vaccines, like your teen dose of Tdap, HPV, or meningococcal vaccine~~, although you wouldn’t have to repeat any of these vaccines if you inadvertently gave them too close together – COVID-19 vaccines can be given at the same time as other vaccines
a history of a severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) after a previous dose or to a component of the COVID-19 vaccine (contraindication)
a history of an immediate allergic reaction of any severity to a previous dose or known (diagnosed) allergy to a component of the vaccine (contraindication)
a history of an immediate allergic reaction to any other vaccine or injectable therapy (precaution)
a history of a reaction to a vaccine or injectable therapy that contains multiple components, one of which is a vaccine component, but in whom it is unknown which component elicited the immediate allergic reaction (precaution)
a history of contraindication to one type of the currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines (e.g., mRNA) = a precaution to the other (e.g., Janssen viral vector)

While that might sound confusing, filling out a Prevaccination Checklist for COVID-19 Vaccines can help make sure that your child can safely get vaccinated.

And know that very soon, the age indication for the Pfizer vaccine should be lowered past 12 years though and perhaps to age 2 years by the end of the year!