WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health announced Wednesday that COVID-19 vaccines appointments for young teenagers ages 12 to 15 years old are now available for scheduling at more than 5,600 pharmacy locations nationwide.
The news follows the Food and Drug Administration approving the two-shot vaccine for Emergency Use Authorization for this age group Monday.
Starting Thursday, 23 CVS retail pharmacy locations in Rhode Island and 154 in Massachusetts will begin administering the Pfizer vaccine to this newly eligible population. Parents or legal guardian consent is required and children must be accompanied by an adult.
Patients are encouraged to schedule an appointment online at CVS.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app to ensure availability. However, walk-ins are also accepted if supply allows. The scheduling portal will only display appointments at locations that have the Pfizer vaccine once the patient’s age is provided since Pfizer is the only FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine for this age group.
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“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, chief executive of the Woonsocket-based health giant.
CVS Health has administered more than 17 million COVID-19 vaccines in both long-term care and retail settings. It will be offering vaccinations at more than 9,600 retail stores across 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington D.C. as of May 16.
Rhode Island parents and guardians of children could already start registering their children who are 12- to 15-years old for a Pfizer vaccine starting Tuesday night. That morning, Rhode Island’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee meeting outlined how the state had already done most of the preparation work to allow parents to sign their children up through the state’s registration system.
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.