Massachusetts to offer COVID vaccines to kids under 5 starting Tuesday
BOSTON – COVID vaccines will be available for children from 6 months to four years old in Massachusetts for the first time beginning on Tuesday.
The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the vaccine on Saturday, hours after an advisory panel voted unanimously in favor of approving it.
On Sunday, Gov. Charlie Baker's administration announced the state's plan for making the shots available.
Parents can call their primary care provider's office directly for an appointment.
Appointments can also be found through the state's VaxFinder website. Anyone with difficulty accessing the internet can call 2-1-1 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. as well as Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
There will be about 400 locations offering shots for children four and younger. Vaccines are already available in Massachusetts for everyone five years and older.
"We know parents and families have been waiting for this, and we are pleased to have this last age group approved for the COVID-19 vaccine," Dr. Estevan Garcia, a pediatrician, and Chief Medical Officer at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said. "The vaccine for this age group has been rigorously tested and we encourage parents to add this vaccine to the list of critical vaccinations their children should receive. We urge parents to reach out to their child's health care provider with any questions they may have."