COVID-19 vaccine for young children: Where to get it on Long Island
Etta Fisher, of Great Neck, receives a COVID-19 vaccine for kids 5-11 from Dr. Adina Geller on Wednesday in Levittown. Credit: Howard Schnapp
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has approved the first COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11, nearly six months after it authorized one for those 12 to 15 years old. But after the long wait, some parents of younger children still are unsure where they can take their kids to receive the two-shot Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine, which is one-third of the dosage provided to the rest of the population.
It's 10 micrograms per dose, as opposed to the 30 micrograms dose for adults. (A clinical Pfizer trial of 2,268 children ages of 5 to 11 showed the vaccine was more than 90% effective in preventing symptomatic infection. Clinical trials showed some side effects, Pfizer said, including pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle pain and chills.)
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 was available Wednesday in Valley Stream. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Shortly after its approval, pediatricians like Dr. Adina Geller of ProKids Pediatrics in Levittown, started administering the initial doses they had received from the state to their patients. The vaccine is now also being offered at pharmacies and at state-run vaccination sites. For those eager to book an appointment, here are some helpful resources. (We'll continue to update this guide as more sites begin offering the vaccine.)
Book online or call
Northwell Health is rolling out a series of vaccine clinics offering the shots for children 5 to 11 years old including one in Nassau and three in Suffolk, starting this weekend. Most sessions run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments are required.
Health care workers will be administering the shots at Babies R Us at 5181 Sunrise Highway in Bohemia, at 1 Marcus Avenue in New Hyde Park, at Robert Entenmann Campus in Riverhead and at the Dolan Building, 284 Pulaski Road in Greenlawn on select dates. Appointments can be booked here or by calling 844-919-VACC (8222). As of Thursday evening, there were a total of 529 slots available for the Long Island sites.
CVS Pharmacy says on its website that select locations will be offering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for ages 5 to 11 starting Nov. 7. Appointments can be booked here.
Walgreens began administering Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 5 to 11 in thousands of select stores nationwide beginning Nov. 6. Appointments can be scheduled here.
New York State has two Long Island sites offering the vaccine to children 5 to 11, one at Stony Brook University and another at SUNY Old Westbury. The SUNY Old Westbury site is administering the vaccine to kids from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 8 a.m. to noon on Sundays. The Stony Brook site is vaccinating children 5 to 11 Saturdays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and 8 a.m. to noon on Sundays. Appointments are required, and a parent or legal guardian must be present. For an appointment, go to: covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov. The state also launched a website with resources for parents to learn about the vaccine and it also includes a link to vaccines.gov, a search tool that can connect you to local providers that have the shots.
Stony Brook Children’s Hospital also is administering the vaccine. Call (631) 444-5437.
Mount Sinai South Nassau is hosting pediatric vaccination services at its Vaccination Center at 519 Merrick Rd., Rockville Centre on select days over the next few weeks. To schedule an appointment, email VaxMobile@snch.org. (For those willing to travel to New York City, you can also book an appointment at one of two Mount Sinai locations offering the pediatric shots through its website.)
Three Village Allergy & Asthma in South Setauket also has the pediatric Pfizer vaccine, according to Dr. Anthony Szena. Appointments can be booked by calling 631-675-6474.
Vaccination events
Allied Physicians Group, a Melville-based partnership of 180 pediatric providers, tentatively has scheduled vaccination events for Nov. 13-14 at Coleman Campground in Freeport and Crestwood Country Day Camp in Melville, with the second doses to be administered at the same locations on Dec. 4-5.
Dr. Marc Lashley, who has an office in Valley Stream and leads the Allied Physicians Group COVID Vaccine Taskforce, said Allied plans to vaccinate about 1,000 children a day. The group has hired licensed practical nurses to help, and many Allied pediatricians and physicians assistants will be volunteering their time.
Mount Sinai South Nassau also plans to take its vaccination mobile unit to local schools, hospital spokesman Joe Calderone said.
With Lisa L. Colangelo, Bart Jones and Matthew Chayes
Have the vaccine but not on our list? If you're a provider with the pediatric shots, email Tara.Conry@newsday.com.
