COVID-19 Vaccine for Ages 5-11 Appointments Now Available in Champaign-Urbana Area

Champaign-Urbana Area Health Providers Set Up Process for Distributing Vaccines to Kids Ages 5-11

It’s the news many Champaign-Urbana area parents of kids ages 5-11 have long been waiting for: local public health officials have announced plans for the initial distribution phase of the children’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Information is available below for how to secure appointments (of course this is subject to change at any time, and will be a moving target for awhile as distribution expands).

Following the CDC’s approval of the Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11, that age group will have access to their first shots as soon as Thursday, Nov 4. in the Champaign-Urbana area.

Pharmacies are already booking appointments.
In coordination with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, mass vaccinations clinics are being scheduled on locations including the I-Hotel and Conference Center.
Eventually, the vaccine will also be available in pediatrician’s offices, but it’s not yet known when that will transpire.

Some of the most frequently asked questions about the kids version of the COVID-19 vaccine were answered by Carle pediatrician Dr. Brent Reifsteck in a live chat with chambanamoms.com that aired Oct. 26 on Facebook. Find that chat here.

Kids Covid Vaccine Champaign — A 12-year-old receives the Pfizer vaccine at a clinic held in May in Champaign. Kids 5-11 can get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as Nov. 4, after recent authorization from the FDA and approval by the CDC. (Chambanamoms photo)

As is the case with the adult version of the COVID-19 vaccine, children will receive two shots of the Pfizer vaccine, scheduled at least three weeks apart. Children will be considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they receive the second shot.

“Vaccines for kids ages 5 through 11 are specifically formulated for younger children, which means none of the vaccines already in the field can be used to vaccinate kids in this age group,” said Jeff Zients, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator, in a news briefing on Monday. “So, FDA’s authorization was also a critical operational milestone, allowing us to start packing and shipping kids’ vaccines for the first time.”

Don’t see a location below that works for your family? Parents will be able to go to vaccines.gov and filter on vaccines for children 5-11 to find a location near them that is offering the shot.

Reminder: Parental/guardian consent is needed for anyone under the age of 18 receiving a vaccine.

Where to get vaccine appointments:

Pharmacies: We’ve heard through the grapevine that appointments are already available at local Walgreen’s and CVS pharmacies (and may be booked elsewhere, too). Advice: don’t use a phone to sign up if at all possible. Desktop is preferred.

Visit www.vaccinefinder.org for available COVID-19 vaccination appointments at local pharmacies.

Public Health Clinics: CUPHD will be hosting vaccine clinics by appointment only at the I-Hotel and Conference Center.

iHotel and Conference Center – 111 St. Mary’s Road, Champaign

Wednesday, November 10

- 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
  - Walk-in booster clinic (Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J available)
- 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  - Pfizer vaccinations for children ages 5-11
  - No walk-ins; schedule online at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B054CA8A82CA5F94-5111

Thursday, November 11
- 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
  - Walk-in booster clinic (Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J available)
- 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  - Pfizer vaccinations for children ages 5-11
  - No walk-ins; schedule online at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B054CA8A82CA5F94-5111

Kohl’s Plaza – 1901 N. Market Street, Champaign

Appointments will be available soon through MyCarle and Carle.org. Carle community vaccine clinics will be staffed with many of the care providers from Carle Pediatric and Family Medicine areas or are specially trained to administer vaccine to children.

Weekend clinic hours through November:

Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Sundays, 8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Vaccine appointments will be made available at primary care locations at a later date. Check the CUPHD Facebook page for updates.

Promise Healthcare:

Starting Tuesday, November 9, Promise Healthcare will be offering the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine for children 5-11 years old.
8:00 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday by appointment only for 5-11. Call 217-403-5402.
805 Bloomington Road (a few steps away from the main clinic) in Champaign.

OSF HealthCare
Appointments will be available at all of the primary care offices and can be scheduled through osfhealthcare.org/vaccine.

Carle: At Carle’s COVID-19 and Your Kids resource page, you can sign up to get notifications about when and where the kids vaccine is available in your community.

School districts: Some local school districts will be offering the vaccine during clinics on-site during the school day. For example, Urbana School District 116 set up student appointments in anticipation of the vaccine release at a planned in-house clinic on Nov. 5. Contact your local school with questions; such clinics may be limited to students who are enrolled in those districts/schools.

Additional information on COVID-19 vaccinations can be found at: https://www.c-uphd.org/covid-vaccinations.html.