Bivalent COVID-19 vaccine available for children

We’re providing COVID-19 vaccinations to children 18 months through 4 years of age in our national network of MinuteClinic locations. Our MinuteClinic clinicians, comprised of board-certified family nurse practitioners, physician associates and nurses, have significant experience providing vaccinations to a younger population. We also have private exam rooms, which helps make the process easier for kids, parents and guardians.

As part of our care delivery model, MinuteClinic has seen patients 18 months and older since its inception in 2000 and has long been a complementary provider to a child’s pediatrician. Our team of dedicated nurse practitioners, physician associates and nurses can administer the COVID-19 vaccine, and all childhood immunizations, to children ages 18 months and older. We recommend reaching out to your child’s pediatrician for information about vaccination options for children ages 6 to 17.

The FDA has determined that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have met the appropriate criteria and will be effective tools in preventing COVID-19 among those ages 18 years and under. For more specific details, we recommend reaching out to the manufacturer.

Yes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children ages five to 11 may receive the seasonal flu vaccine at the same time they are receiving the Pfizer‐BioNTech COVID‐19 vaccine. There is no need to stagger vaccinations. Additionally, if a child has already received a flu shot, they can receive their COVID‐19 vaccine at any time.

According to the CDC, side effects following the COVID‐19 vaccine may occur but are generally mild and resolve on their own. Common side effects include pain and swelling on the arm where the patient got the shot, headache, fever, chills, tiredness and fatigue throughout the rest of their body. If a child is experiencing side effects, families should consult with their pediatrician.

Families interested in receiving the Pfizer‐BioNTech COVID‐19 vaccine for their children are strongly encouraged to make an appointment online or via the CVS Pharmacy app in order to identify the location closest to them with available vaccine.

Schedule for ages 5 and up at CVS Pharmacy

Schedule for ages 18 months and up at MinuteClinic

At this time, vaccines for eligible patients ages 5 to 11 are available at nearly 1,700 CVS Pharmacy locations. All of our more than 1,100 MinuteClinic locations are also currently offering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 18 months to 11 years. Once the patient’s age is provided, the scheduling tool will display appointments only at CVS Pharmacy or MinuteClinic locations that have the appropriate vaccine.

At select CVS Pharmacy locations, trained pharmacists, pharmacy interns, pharmacy technicians and nurses will be administering the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 and above. Board-certified family nurse practitioners, physician associates and nurses will administer the vaccine at select MinuteClinic locations to children ages 18 months and older.

A parent or legal guardian must complete the CVS online registration and an adult must accompany children under 16 to the appointment at CVS Pharmacy or MinuteClinic. As with the adult COVID‐19 vaccination, children and their parent or guardian will need to remain in the pharmacy area for at least 15 minutes following vaccination for observation.

Parents and guardians must truthfully attest that their child is between the ages of 18 months and 11 years when registering for an appointment.

At CVS Pharmacy:

We have selected CVS Pharmacy locations for the administration of the vaccine to children ages 5 to 11 years because these locations have vaccinators who are solely focused on administering vaccines.

In addition, our in-store experience is focused on reassuring and supporting the child and their parent or guardian throughout the process. This includes a variety of child-friendly elements (e.g., superhero-themed stickers and buttons, prize boxes with pop-it toys, and an informational handout with a QR code linking to video content). These elements have been designed to help ease a child’s fear of getting a vaccine, celebrate their bravery in the fight against COVID-19 and help keep them entertained during the post-vaccination observation period.

At MinuteClinic:

Additionally, our MinuteClinic providers, comprised of board-certified family nurse practitioners, physician associates and nurses, have significant experience providing vaccinations to a younger population in a private exam room, which will make the process easier for kids, parents and guardians.

Yes, parents and guardians must accompany children receiving their vaccine and are often encouraged to hold the child during the administration of the vaccine to help them keep still and stay calm.

Patients will receive a vaccination card after their initial appointment, which will be updated upon receipt of the second dose. Parents and guardians will also receive an email confirmation with full vaccination information for their child, sent to the email address provided when they registered for the appointment.

Yes, MinuteClinic is prepared to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to children 18 months and older. All locations offering the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 18 months to 11 years are fully staffed and are certified to administer vaccines to younger children.

At this time, you may only access your own vaccination records or those of your minor children. Any patient age 18 or older must create their own account to access their vaccination records.

View or create an account at Care.CVS.com

Check your email for the COVID‐19 vaccination record if both the following conditions apply:

• The minor was vaccinated at CVS Pharmacy
• An email address was provided at scheduling/check‐in

A record of the vaccination should have been immediately sent to that address. It would have been sent from the email address Pharmacy@Notification.CVSHealth.com with a subject line of “For Your Records.”

1. Sign in to your CVS account or create an account if you do not have one (you may first have to verify your identity if you have not done so in the past).
2. 1. Go to "Pharmacy"
   2. Select "Pharmacy Settings"
   3. Go to "Manage Family Members"
   4. Choose "Add a Person"
      
3. To add your minor, we first need to locate their pharmacy records by using their patient information or a prescription number.

Quick tip: The prescription (Rx) number can be found on any prescription bottle, as well as on the vaccination confirmation email referenced in the previous question (“How do I view my minor child’s vaccination records?”) with the subject line “For your records.”

• Once the pharmacy records are found, you will be asked to confirm that you are the parent or legal guardian.
• Once you confirm: Success! Your minor child’s Rx records are now available for viewing online.

View or create an account at Care.CVS.com

If you’re trying to view your minor child’s vaccination record, view or create an account at Care.CVS.com

• Sign in with your CVS account details.
• You may be asked to verify your identity before you can view your child’s record.
• Once you have signed in and verified your identity, visit “Vaccinations”.