CVS Allows COVID-19 Vaccines to Children Ages 12-15 Nationwide

CVS Pharmacies across the nation are offering COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 12-15 starting Thursday.

"With every new wave of eligibility our teams have worked around the clock to ensure vaccine access as soon as possible," CVS Health President and Chief Executive officer Karen Lynch said. "Offering vaccinations to younger populations at thousands of locations across the country brings us one step closer to prevailing over the pandemic."

The Pfizer vaccine was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization and the CDC to be administered to individuals above the age of 12, and now those individuals can schedule appointments at more than 5,600 CVS locations.

Parental consent is required and all children must be accompanied by an adult.

Individuals can make an appointment by clicking here or by accessing the CVS Pharmacy app. Only locations with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be shown.

COVID-19 Vaccines

In Texas, the COVID-19 vaccines are currently available to anyone over the age of 5. The vaccines are still not approved for children younger than 5 however -- those trials are ongoing.

Once vaccinated, people who received either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines are expected to get some level of protection within a couple of weeks after the first shot, but full protection may not happen until a couple of weeks after the second shot. For those who receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine -- there is only one shot needed.

As of Jan. 3, 2022, it is also recommended those who are age 12 and up and who have been fully vaccinated receive a booster as early as five months after their last dose, for a total of three shots. The vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech is the only U.S. option for children of any age.

As for even younger children, kid-size doses for 5- to 11-year-olds rolled out in November and experts said healthy youngsters should be protected after their second dose for a while. But the FDA also said on Jan. 3, 2022, that if children that young have severely weakened immune systems, they will be allowed a third dose 28 days after their second. That’s the same third-dose timing already recommended for immune-compromised teens and adults.

Pfizer and Moderna are studying their vaccines, in even smaller doses, for children younger than 5.

Even when fully vaccinated, it's still possible to become infected by the virus since none of the vaccines offer 100% protection from infection. With that in mind, even if you've been vaccinated it's still a good idea to wear a mask and keep some separation between strangers or those whose vaccination status is unclear.