20M kids under 5 able to receive COVID vaccine

The vaccine was approved for children ages 6 months to 5 years old by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over the weekend.

Nadia Galindo

Jun 21, 2022, 9:21 PM

Updated 906 days ago

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As of Tuesday, about 20 million kids under the age of 5 can officially get a COVID-19 vaccine.
A search online shows many Walgreens and CVS pharmacies have appointments available beginning this Saturday.
The vaccine was approved for children ages 6 months to 5 years old by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over the weekend.
Still, it's hard to find parents who are willing to inoculate their young children.
"I feel like this is something new, so we are not really sure where it's going to head five to 10 years down the lines" said Yonathon Santos, of Yonkers.
An April survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation Vaccine Monitor shows only 1 in 5 parents of children under 5 want to vaccinate their young children and that a lack of information is a leading factor.
"I've got my work cut out for me to convince parents that this is a safe and effective vaccine and it's important to get for their child," said Dr. David Levi, Hudson River Pediatrics.
Dr. Levi said he recommends parents vaccinate their young children because while they typically are at a lower risk than adults of becoming severely ill, there is a chance they can spread the virus.
"It's to protect their child, but it's also to protect family members who may be exposed, and even if they were vaccinated, they may not have as much protection because they might have underlying health conditions," said Levi.
He said even if your child has already contracted COVID-19, the vaccine is needed to protect against re-infection.
To book an appointment you can check with your pediatrician. You can also find appointments for children 3 and up at Walgreens online.
CVS is administering COVID-19 vaccines for children 18 months and older at Minute Clinics.