Children's vaccine appointments filling up at pharmacies, clinics in Westmoreland County

Pharmacies and health care providers around the area are gearing up to give covid-19 vaccines to their youngest patients yet — those ages 5 to 11.

Excela Health has three immunization dates this month that are filling up quickly at its North Huntingdon clinic. Hayden’s Pharmacy expects to open up scheduling next week.

“The last two weeks, we’ve had a lot of parents call and ask,” said Ed Christofano, pharmacist and owner of Hayden’s Pharmacy in Youngwood, Mt. Pleasant and Donegal.

Children across the country this week were cleared to begin getting smaller doses of the Pfizer vaccine after approvals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shipments of the vaccine arrived Thursday at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. The federal government has promised enough doses for the nation’s 28 million children in the age range.

That dose is one-third the amount given to older children and adults. The two shots will be given three weeks apart.

Officials with retail drug stores and pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid have said appointments for children aged 5 to 11 will begin this weekend.

Excela Health opened its scheduling on Tuesday at 2 p.m. By mid-day Thursday, more than 200 kids were signed up for appointments, said spokeswoman Robin Jennings. The Greensburg-based health system is getting its doses through the state Department of Health.

Mainline Pharmacy has kid-sized shot appointments available next week at its Bushy Run Pharmacy in Harrison City. Appointments for Friday are open at the Blairsville location.

“It is exciting to see parents lining up to get their children vaccinated against the covid-19 virus that caused this pandemic,” Alison Beam, the state’s acting health secretary, said Thursday during a news conference in Scranton regarding vaccines for younger children.

Christofano said he has placed an order with the state health department and expects to have clinics around the area, just as he had for much of the year for adults. He emphasized that the inoculations are a personal choice and will only be done with a parent’s consent.

“I’m making it mandatory that the parents are present for the vaccination,” he said.

Christofano plans to announce when scheduling is open on the pharmacy’s Facebook page. Appointments will be made online at haydenspharmacy.com.

“My goal is to make sure the vaccination is accessible for those that want it,” he said. “We’ve been doing this now for 10 months and here it is, we’re gearing up for the next round.”