Pfizer Boosters For Kids 12-15: What GA Parents Need To Know

Atlanta GA

03 January, 2022

12:10 PM

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GEORGIA — The Food and Drug Administration on Monday authorized the Pfizer COVID-19 booster for children as young as 12 in our area, broadening access to the third dose of the vaccine as COVID-19 daily infection rates remain in record territory. The shots won't be available to adolescents and younger teens in Georgia immediately, though. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is expected to rule on the expanded access later this week. Also, regulators authorized a third Pfizer vaccine shot five months after the second dose, shortening the wait period for the booster by a month, and authorized the boosters to immunocompromised children ages 5-11. Booster shots are already recommended for everyone over 16. They're available in Georgia at CVS, Publix, Walgreens, Sam's Club, Ingles, Costco and Walmart pharmacies, as well as other commercial providers. Some providers require appointments; be sure to check online or by phone before heading there to get vaccinated. Some locations across Georgia offering the COVID-19 vaccines include: Walgreens595 Piedmont Avenue NE, Atlanta6410 E. Johns Crossing, Johns Creek2323 Canton Highway, Cumming173 S. Main St., Alpharetta12075 Highway 92, Woodstock101 N. Tennessee St., Cartersville4442 Jimmy Lee Smith Parkway, Hiram4692 Ridge Road, Douglasville585 DeKalb Industrial Way, Decatur23 S. Marietta Parkway SW, Marietta2390 S. Cobb Drive SE, SmyrnaCVS2539 Piedmont Road NE, Atlanta5950 State Bridge Road, Johns Creek11710 Alpharetta Highway, Roswell4895 Post Road, Cumming2022 Cumming Highway, Canton13 N. Tennessee St., Cartersville495 Charles Hardy Parkway, Dallas2950 Chapel Hill Road, Douglasville2458 Candler Road, Decatur300 Powder Springs St., Marietta2994 Atlanta Road, SmyrnaPublix2900 Peachtree Road, Atlanta1425 Market Blvd., Suite 600, Roswell11800 Haynes Bridge Road, Alpharetta5475 Bethelview Road, Cumming12165 Highway 92, Woodstock300 Cherokee Place, Cartersville51 E. Paulding Drive, Dallas4300 Chapel Hill Road, Douglasville2720 E. Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur1860 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta2955 Atlanta Road SE, SmyrnaKroger1715 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta3000 Old Alabama Road, Johns Creek570 E. Crossville Road, Roswell12050 Highway 92, Suite 112, Woodstock125 Main St. Market Place, Cartersville8501 Hospital Drive, Douglasville2875 N. Decatur Road, Decatur2100 Roswell Road, Suite 300, Marietta3240 S. Cobb Drive SE, SmyrnaWalmart835 MLK Jr. Drive NW, Atlanta2395 Peachtree Parkway, Cumming970 Mansell Road, Roswell1550 Riverstone Parkway, Canton965 Joe Frank Harris Parkway SE, Cartersville4166 Jimmy Lee Smith Parkway, Hiram2525 N. Decatur Road, Decatur210 Cobb Parkway South, MariettaSam's Club10600 Davis Drive, Alpharetta9464 Main St., Woodstock6995 Concourse Parkway, Douglasville2901 Clairmont Road, Suite A, AtlantaCostco2855 Jordan Court, Alpharetta113 Lincoln St., Woodstock1715 Charles Hardy Parkway, Dallas2900 Cumberland Mall, Atlanta To find a vaccine provider near you and/or schedule an appointment, visit dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine or vaccines.gov. The FDA's authorization comes as health experts warn of a "blizzard of infections" following a busy holiday season bookended by two full weekends of celebration. "We are going to see the number of cases in this country rise so dramatically, we are going to have a hard time keeping everyday life operating," Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, told MSNBC. "The next month is going to be a viral blizzard," he said. "All of society is going to be pressured by this." COVID-19 infections are likely to rise throughout January, according to a statement last week by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert and President Joe Biden's science adviser on the coronavirus task force. The CDC said last week it had significantly overestimated the prevalence of omicron, the coronavirus variant that is behind the current surge of infections. The agency said on Dec. 18 that omicron was responsible for 73 percent of COVID-19 infections, but slashed that figure to 23 percent. The early data on the omicron variant has shown it is less severe than the delta variant, but health officials are still pushing vaccinations, masks and physical distancing. Vaccinations offer strong protection against any variant of the coronavirus, but federal health officials urge everyone who is eligible for a booster shot to get one as their best chance to avoid serious COVID-19 breakthrough infections from the highly contagious omicron variant. Children tend to have milder COVID-19 illnesses than adults, yet child hospitalizations are soaring during the omicron wave, most of them among unvaccinated children. The vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech is the only one authorized in the United States for children. About 13.5 million youths ages 12 to 17 — just over half of those eligible — have gotten two Pfizer shots, according to the CDC. The Associated Press contributed reporting. For more information about finding a booster shot near you, visit one of these links: COVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In Alpharetta-MiltonCOVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In RoswellCOVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In Johns CreekCOVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In CummingCOVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In CartersvilleCOVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In CantonCOVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In WoodstockCOVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In MariettaCOVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In Smyrna, ViningsCOVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In East CobbCOVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In DecaturCOVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In DaculaCOVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In LoganvilleCOVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In DouglasvilleCOVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In Dallas, Hiram