Champaign-Urbana Area Health Providers Announce Plans to Provide the Covid-19 Vaccine to Kids Under Age 5
Champaign-Urbana area public health officials have announced plans for the initial distribution phase of the COVID-19 vaccine for our community’s youngest residents.
More than two years after the pandemic reached our shores, all Americans 6 months old and older can now access a COVID-19 vaccine.
There are two options for vaccines approved for this age group, and the now-familiar vaccine manufacturers are the same as those for adults, Moderna and Pfizer. The Moderna vaccine is authorized for ages 6 months to 6 years. The Pfizer vaccine is authorized and approved for children ages 6 months to 5 years; Pfizer vaccines for ages 5 and up have been available since November.
The Pfizer vaccine follows a three-shot protocol, while the Moderna series is two doses.
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; information is current at time of publication)..
Following the CDC’s approval of the Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 and as young as six months old, that age group will have access to their first shots as soon as this week in the Champaign-Urbana area. More details are below.
- Some pharmacies are already booking appointments.
- Note that per federal law, pharmacists have limitations and those locations may NOT administer vaccinations to children under 3.
- Walgreens will begin administering vaccines to children 3 years and older at select locations nationwide, it announced in a news release. Appointments begin on June 25. Parents and guardians can schedule online here, through the Walgreens app or by calling (800)-Walgreens.
- In coordination with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, mass vaccinations clinics are being scheduled at 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.
Want to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5? We found this FAQ by Yale Health to be very informative.
“These vaccines are safe, highly effective, and will give parents the peace of mind of knowing their child is protected from the worst outcomes of COVID-19,” said President Joe Biden in a White House statement.
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 on June 27-28. (CUPHD will begin vaccinations on June 23-24 but those appointments were already booked by the time of publication of this article.) Additional details will be available later this week on this website: https://www.c-uphd.org/covid-
OSF HealthCare
Appointments will be available at all of the primary care offices and can be scheduled through osfhealthcare.org/vaccine.
Carle: Carle patients and community members can schedule an appointment today with their child’s healthcare provider or by calling the hotline at (217) 902-6100. Vaccines for this age group will be administered in Primary Care Pediatric offices by Carle clinicians who are experienced in caring for infants and children.
Additional information on COVID-19 vaccinations can be found at: https://www.c-uphd.org/covid-vaccinations.html.