Rite Aid announced Friday afternoon that it would begin administering Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to children between the ages of 5 and 11.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisory committee voted Thursday afternoon to approve COVID vaccine boosters for kids in that age range, which took place days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the booster.
Children between 5 and 11 are eligible to receive a booster dose five months after completing their initial dosing regimen. Appointments must be made by a parent or guardian and a child must be accompanied by an adult.
Additionally, Rite Aid’s Bartell Drugs will also begin administering booster shots to kids at select Seattle and Western Washington locations.
“Protecting children through vaccination remains central in our continued fight against COVID-19 and caring for our communities,” said Karen Staniforth, Chief Pharmacy Officer at Rite Aid, in a statement. “As new COVID variants continue to spread, vaccination including boosters are critical in helping to prevent serious illness and hospitalization. We encourage anyone who hasn’t scheduled their primary vaccination series for themselves or their child to do so, and to get their boosters when eligible.”
Ensuring children remain protected against COVID-19 is a key part of the ongoing public health effort as the virus moves into its endemic phase. As of Wednesday, the CDC said 9.9 million US children between 5 and 11 have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine, while 8.1 million have completed the two-dose vaccination series.
Still, 18.4 million children have yet to receive their first COVID vaccine dose.
Rite Aid’s announcement comes amid a recent surge in COVID cases nationwide. According to the CDC, the current 7-day moving average of daily new cases increased by 18.8% week-over-week.
