The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts are expanding eligibility for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 12 through 15. This FDA and the CDC approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine on children 12 and older earlier this week.
In Richmond and Henrico, that’s about 26,000 kids now eligible to get vaccinated.
Some children will be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from their family pediatrician, if their office has necessary vaccine storage equipment and staffing capacity. Children are also now eligible to receive the vaccine at pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens, so long as they offer the Pfizer shot.
“Those vaccine apps are available usually a week or two at a time, so if appointments aren’t available at the location that you want, just check back in a couple of days and there’ll be more appointments there,” said Nurse Manager Amy Popovich with the Richmond City Health District.
The vaccine is now also available to children ages 12 and up at the districts’ mass vaccination events, some of which now have extended hours to make the vaccine available after school and work. All vaccination events are now accepting walk-ups.
No paperwork will be required for children to get vaccinated, besides a consent form. Children will only be required to give their name and date of birth. Those under 18 years of age will have to be accompanied by an adult. That adult does not have to be the child’s parent, so long as that person has verbal consent from the child’s legal guardian to get the child vaccinated.
Walk-in vaccination events in Richmond for the following week are as follows:
- Tuesday, May 18, 12 pm - 5 pm at George Wythe High School
- Wednesday, May 19, 8 am - 6 pm at the Richmond International Raceway
- Wednesday, May 19, 3 pm - 6 pm at George Wythe High School
- Thursday, May 20, 8 am - 6 pm at the Richmond International Raceway
- Saturday, May 22, 11 am - 3 pm at George Wythe High School
Virginia Commonwealth University will also be operating vaccination clinics where children and their parents can get the COVID-19 shot.
Pediatrician Romesh Wijesooriya with the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU says he recognizes why parents may be hesitant to get their children vaccinated, but says the science is sound, and he encourages parents to get their kids the COVID-19 shot.
“I am very, very, very reassured by the studies, how well they were done, who they were done on, and the results of those studies,” the doctor said. “These vaccines, they are for protecting our children for sure… but we are also, and probably more importantly, protecting people in our community who are more at risk.”
The more children that get vaccinated, Wijesooriya says, the sooner Central Virginia can reach herd immunity.
Other Virginia localities are partnering with school divisions to host vaccination events at schools. Popovich says Richmond and Henrico are not taking that approach at this time, since most children are not attending school in person.
“Rather than vaccinating in schools, where kids are, we’re focusing on vaccinating where kids live,” Popovich said. She pointed to vaccination sites near children’s homes, such as the ones at George Wythe High School and the Richmond Raceway. She added that some Richmond school nurses will be assisting with local vaccination efforts at those sites.
Popovich says the health district’s partnership with Richmond and Henrico schools may change later in the year. She says health officials will continue to assess opportunities to provide vaccines during in-person summer school or at Back to School events in the fall.
In a phone call earlier this week, Virginia State Superintendent James Lane and Doctor Danny Avula with the Virginia Department of Health encouraged local superintendents to host vaccination clinics at schools in order to increase vaccine access and get closer to herd immunity.
“Getting this safe, effective vaccine means that these adolescents won’t have to miss school, sporting events or other activities if they are exposed to someone with COVID-19, taking another step toward getting their lives back to normal,” Avula said in a press release.