Hy-Vee Pharmacies offers limited supply of Pediatric Pfizer Vaccines

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - Select Hy-Vee pharmacy locations are now administering free Pediatric Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 5-11 without a prescription, Hy-Vee, Inc. announced Wednesday.

Hy-Vee is administering the vaccine to this age group, per the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recent approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children 5-11.

Due to limited supply, these vaccines are available by appointment only, and more appointment slots will be added as additional pediatric vaccine supply becomes available, Hy-Vee, Inc. said in a media release. Hy-Vee has been offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to individuals ages 12 and older since authorized earlier this year.

Hy-Vee said, the Pediatric Pfizer-BioNTech is a smaller dosage than the Pfizer-BioNTech authorized for individuals ages 12 and older, so it’s important that individuals select the vaccine option appropriate for their age when scheduling an appointment online. Minors must have parental or guardian consent to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. A parent or guardian must accompany minors to both their first and second dose COVID-19 vaccinations. The Pediatric Pfizer-BioNTech requires two doses administered at least 21 days apart.

At this time, Moderna and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccines are NOT authorized for minors.

To schedule an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccination for children ages 5-11 at Hy-Vee parents/guardians can visit www.hy-vee.com/covidvaccine, Hy-Vee said. Using Hy-Vee’s online scheduler, parents/guardians can quickly search for the Pediatric Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine across Hy-Vee pharmacy locations near them.

The vaccines are free to all eligible patients, regardless of their insurance coverage, Hy-Vee said. Hy-Vee pharmacy locations are open seven days a week and offer convenient evening and weekend hours.

Hy-Vee recommends, but it is not required, that vaccine recipients bring the following to their appointment: insurance card (if they have insurance) and Medicaid card (if Medicaid recipient). Masks are required. If individuals do not have insurance, they can still be vaccinated.

Vaccine recipients will be required to remain in the pharmacy’s designated observation area for 15 minutes post-vaccination, Hy-Vee said.

For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, visit www.hy-vee.com/covidvaccine.

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