PHOENIX — Starting Thursday, May 13, Arizona children between ages 12 and 15 can get a Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.
According to ADHS data, as of Thursday, 3,085,000 people in Arizona have received at least one dose of the vaccine. More than 2,550,000 Arizonans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
ADHS says there are 400,000 children in the new vaccination age group of 12-15.
The Food and Drug Administration gave emergency use authorization to allow the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in teens as young as 12. So far, it's the only vaccine brand approved for the age group.
Various locations around the Valley and state are offering the vaccine to children as young as 12. Here's what to know about getting them for your child:
State-run sites
Sites around the Valley and state ran by state officials are offering the vaccine. Some of the locations include Gila River Arena in Glendale, Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, and more.
A pop-up vaccine site is also open from 3 to 6 p.m. on Thursday for Roosevelt School District families at C.O. Greenfield Elementary School.
Parents and guardians are able to register youth for vaccines by visiting podvaccine.azdhs.gov or by or calling 844-542-8201 (in English or Spanish). Appointments aren’t required for state-run sites, but they can make the on-site process easier.
"A parent or guardian must accompany the child and sign a consent form in person and includes an attestation that the child is at least 12 years old. No identification is required for the child," Arizona Department of Health Services says.
Walgreens
Walgreens pharmacies around the Phoenix area are offering the Pfizer vaccine beginning Thursday.
Appointments can be made online at Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine or by calling 1-800-WALGREENS. Both are available in English and Spanish.
Walk-in and same-day appointments are also an option based on availability.
CVS
CVS is offering Pfizer vaccines to youth at select pharmacies.
You can find a location near you online. As of Thursday morning, nearly every Arizona location offering vaccines had availability.
CVS says, "Patients are able to see which CVS Pharmacy location has which vaccine and appointment availability on CVS.com before scheduling, which is recommended especially when looking for an appointment for children ages 12–15 that require the Pfizer vaccine. Our online scheduling tool will only display appointments at locations that have the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine once the patient’s age is provided."
Fry's Food Stores
According to Fry's, they are opening vaccinations to youth.
Their site says: "Individuals 12+ (12 is the lowest age authorized by the FDA for use of the Pfizer vaccine, though a guardian may need to be present for recipients under 17 years old. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available to anyone over 18.)"
*Note: This may not be an exhaustive list of vaccination locations.
ABC15 has spoken to a number of smaller offices and clinics that say they will be making the vaccine available to 12+ when they are able to do so. Check with your local offices for their latest plans.
Maricopa County has a vaccine finder on its website that includes pharmacies and other clinics.
ADHS also says it is coordinating with rural counties so 12- to 15-year-olds in other areas can get vaccinated with proper vaccine brands.
