Younger kids in Kansas City can get their COVID-19 shot as early as this week.
On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended a lower dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 years old. Kansas and Missouri have since adopted the new guidance, allowing providers and health departments to start administering the shot.
Missouri State Health Director Donald Kauerauf said in a release that while it is less common for a child to become severely ill or need hospitalization due to COVID-19, the recent surge of the delta variant showed that there is still a risk.
“The delta variant is still prevalent among COVID-19 cases, and it is impacting people differently than what we witnessed a year ago,” Kauerauf said. “Also, we know kids can and do spread the virus and can unknowingly cause severe illness in others including senior citizens and at risk populations.”
Dr. Natasha Burgert is a pediatrician in the Kansas City area. She said that as vaccine doses arrive in the coming weeks, parents should first try and schedule an appointment with their pediatrician, but can also schedule one at a local pharmacy like Walgreens or CVS.
Here’s a look at when and where younger children can get their dose of the vaccine in the Kansas City area so far:
Local health departments
Kansas City
The Kansas City Health Department said that it's waiting on a shipment of the pediatric vaccine. Once receiving the doses, it will offer vaccines at the health department at 24th Street and Troost Avenue and at clinics through November and December.
The department will also provide vaccine events throughout the city, like schools, public health clinics and special clinic events. A list of event locations will be available online.
Jackson County
The Jackson County Health Department will start administering the vaccine to children 5 to 11 starting Friday at its mass vaccination clinics. Parents can find a clinic online calendar or by calling 816-404-6415.
A health department spokesperson said that less than 300 appointments will be offered this week due to limited vaccine supply, but expects to have more doses for the following week.
For children who may not be comfortable with lines or more crowded spaces at the community clinic, the department recommends scheduling an appointment with their pediatrician or at the health department in Independence by calling 816-404-6415.
Platte County
The Platte County Health Department will be holding three clinics to administer the pediatric vaccine at its office at 212 Marshall Rd., Platte City.
Appointments will be offered on Nov. 10, Dec. 8, and Dec. 15 from 1 to 5 p.m. and can be scheduled online. Appointments are currently full for Nov. 10.
A health department spokesperson said that they are working on plans to administer the vaccine outside of the offered clinics, but are waiting for additional doses to be delivered.
Clay County
The Clay County Health Department is now scheduling appointments for younger children at its health center at 800 Haines Drive in Liberty, MO. The center will begin administering the vaccine on Nov. 8.
Johnson County
The Johnson County Health Department will begin offering the vaccine to children on Nov. 8 at its Mission clinic located at 6000 Lamar Ave.
Appointments will be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and from 1 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays. The county health department's director, Dr. Sanmi Areola, announced on Thursday that all of the slots for next week were filled.
Appointments can be scheduled online, and children ages 15 and younger will require a parent or guardian present.
Hospitals and health providers
Children’s Mercy Hospital
Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas in Overland Park will begin vaccinating children at a Saturday clinic, but appointments are currently full.
Starting Monday, weekday clinics for vaccinations will be open at the Children’s Mercy Adele Hall Campus and Children’s Mercy Broadway location from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday. A list of weekend clinics are also available online.
Dr. Jennifer Watts, Chief Emergency Management Medical Officer at Children’s Mercy, said that she also recommends children get vaccinated by their primary health physicians.
“All the routine childhood immunizations that we provide are provided at their
pediatrician's office and so really the pediatrician's offices are the experts
at administering vaccine," Watts said.
Appointments at are required and can be scheduled through the hospital’s online portal or by calling the COVID scheduling hotline at 816-302-6300.
University Health
University Health, formally known as Truman Medical Centers/University Health, will begin offering the vaccine to younger children on Monday, Nov. 8.
The vaccine will be available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. at the Truman Medical Center clinic at 2111 Charlotte St. and from 7 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Lakewood Medical Center clinic at 7900 Lee’s Summit Road in Kansas City.
The health system highly recommends making an appointment by calling 816-404-2273.
The University of Kansas Health System
University of Kansas Health System officials said at their daily briefing that they will begin administering vaccines to children ages 5 to 11 years old starting Monday. The system was authorized for 4,500 doses in its first shipment.
Parents or guardians can make an appointment through their MyChart account. People who are not current patients can call 913-588-1227 to schedule an appointment.Area pharmacies
CVS
Select CVS pharmacy locations will offer the vaccine to younger children starting Sunday, Nov. 7. An appointment can be made online.
Hy-Vee
A limited amount of pediatric vaccines are currently available at select Hy-Vee locations. Due to limited supply, an appointment is required.
Walgreens
Walgreens will begin administering the vaccine to children ages 5 to 11 in select stores beginning Saturday, Nov. 6. Appointments can be made online, through the Walgreens app or by calling 1-800-Walgreens. The store said in a release that more appointments will be available in the coming weeks as it receives additional vaccines.
