Where to get COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5 in metro Phoenix
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
About 400,000 Arizona children under 5 years old are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine after the CDC gave the green light earlier this week.
By the numbers: Arizona health care providers have ordered about 41,000 vaccine doses for the newly eligible group through the state's health department.
- Retail pharmacies have ordered another 28,000, the department announced last week.
Yes, but: Finding a shot is proving to be complicated for some parents who are eager to vaccinate their children.
Online state and federal databases don't yet show full information about where Arizona's youngest children can get vaccinated.
- The state still hasn't updated its search tool to show the new vaccine availability.
- The federal vaccine search tool shows fewer than 10 locations within 30 miles of central Phoenix.
Details: Arizona Department of Health Services spokesperson Steve Elliott told Axios that parents' first stop should be their pediatricians. If they don't have doses for kids under 5, they'll have a recommendation for where else to look, he said.
- Elliott also recommended checking in with your county health department and with Walgreens.
- ADHS is working on a section on its website that will have comprehensive information on where to find vaccines for children under 5.
Meanwhile, pharmacies have different age limits despite the new CDC guidance, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports.
- CVS will vaccinate children 18 months and older where vaccine appointments are available.
- Walgreens will begin taking appointments for children 3 and older as early as Saturday.
- Costco says its pharmacies will vaccinate children 3 and up but appointments are not yet available to book online at Valley locations.
- Walmart has appointments available at Valley stores as early as Thursday for children 3 and up.
The One Community Initiative Against COVID-19, a coalition of local leaders that has worked to provide fair and equitable access to testing and vaccines, is now turning its attention to vaccinating young kids.
- The group will bring childhood vaccine events directly to underserved neighborhoods in the coming weeks, Tomás León, president of the Equality Health Foundation, told Axios.
What he's saying: "Whether you speak English or Spanish we want you to know where to go and how to access the vaccine events we’re doing in the neighborhoods," León said.
Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Phoenix.
More Phoenix stories
No stories could be found
Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Phoenix.