Following a CDC recommendation for all kids 6 months to 4 years old to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, many parents are wondering where they can take their children for the first dose.
While there was much confusion after Florida was revealed as the only state to not pre-order the vaccine, community health centers and pharmacies were able to independently order and begin to administer doses.
Though there will be a slight delay, pediatricians and local hospitals were also permitted access to ordering the vaccines.
Now, parents who have followed doctors' recommendations to get their young children vaccinated are only left with one decision: where?
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Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine Drive in Miami-Dade County (June 25-29)
From Saturday, June 25 to Wednesday, June 29, Miami-Dade County will be hosting a Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine Drive. Here, parents will be able to take their children ages 6 months and older to receive either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
The event will be held on June 25 and June 26, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and from June 27 to June 29 at 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the following locations:
- Tropical Park, 7900 SW 40th Street Miami FL 33155
- Dolphin Mall, 11401 NW 12th Street Miami FL 33172
- Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152 Street Miami FL 33177
- Joseph Caleb Center, 5400 NW 22 Ave Miami FL 33142
- Miami Beach 17St Garage, 530 17th Street Miami Beach FL 33139
- Aventura Mall, 19525 Biscayne Blvd Aventura FL 33180
- Harris Field, 675 North Homestead Blvd Homestead FL 33030
- Miami Dade College (North Campus), 11380 NW 27th Ave Miami FL 33167
Local Pharmacies
While local pharmacies do have the ability to order and administer doses to young children, only some are offering this service with some restrictions.
- Walgreens Pharmacy: Children 3 years old and up can receive either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at a local Walgreens Pharmacy. To make an appointment, please see here.
- CVS Pharmacy Minute Clinic: Children 18 months and up can receive the Pfizer vaccine at a local Minute Clinic. To make an appointment, please see here.
- Publix Pharmacy: The grocery store chain will not be administering vaccines to children 4 years and younger. For more information on why, please see here.
Pediatricians and Local Hospitals
Due to the setbacks in ordering doses, pediatricians and local hospitals are experiencing delays in receiving vaccines to administer.
This is an issue for children 6-18 months who are not able to become vaccinated by local pharmacies. As a result, they will need to wait for doctors' offices to receive doses.
Local hospitals such as Niklaus Children's Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital assure that as soon as they receive doses, they will begin offering vaccination for young children.
Dr. Aileen Marty, however, assures that this delay may be a worthwhile one as she recommends children be vaccinated by their doctor for increased safety measures.
