Coronavirus Watch: Why pharmacies can't vaccinate toddlers for COVID
Parents seeking to vaccinate their toddlers and babies against COVID-19 may be in for a surprise: Most states don't allow pharmacists or their technicians to administer vaccines to kids under a certain age.
If you child is under 3 years old, you'll likely have to bring them to a pediatrician. That's because the federal Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act only temporarily allows pharmacists to administer vaccines to children over 3 during a public health emergency.
Read more from Adrianna Rodriguez here.
It's Thursday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news to know:
- Actress and 'Jeopardy' host Mayim Bialik shared on social media the medical struggles she faced following her COVID-19 diagnosis, including extreme exhaustion and chest tightness.
- After the FDA and CDC recently approved COVID-19 vaccines for children four and under, not every family is jumping in line to get their child the shot this week.
- President Joe Biden celebrated COVID-19 vaccines becoming available for young children Tuesday, applauding the "historic milestone" that now allows every age group in America access to protection against the virus.
See our COVID-19 resource guide here. See total reported cases and deaths here. On vaccinations: About 78% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 67% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
– Cady Stanton, Paste BN Nation NOW reporter, @cady_stanton