For Erika Adolphus' 8-year-old daughter Sabrina, it's another step closer to normalcy. While the third-grader is no fan of needles, she is joining the rest of her family by getting the vaccine at her local CVS on Sunday.
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"She's nervous. She has a phobia for needles, but I told her that it's best for her," Adolphus said.
Last week, the Federal Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the OK to Pfizer's pediatric COVID vaccine for that age group.
For the Adolphus family, it will mean that Sabrina and her 12-year-old brother can do more things like visiting an indoor trampoline park again.
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"We were just waiting for this to come through and we're just excited to get her vaccinated. We were holding back in a lot of stuff to do because we didn't want to expose her."
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The CVS in Highland Park is one of 266 locations in California offering the shots for newly eligible children. Pharmacy staff at those locations are trained to specifically manage the pediatric version of the vaccines. Appointments can be made either online or through the app.
"We've taken the best of the best and they're certified immunizers ready to immunize children," said CVS district Manager Lucy Atalaryan. "We know what a difficult time this can be for both kids and parents."
Despite her nervousness, Sabrina received the first of the two doses she'lll need to be fully vaccinated.
"I will say don't worry, it's not going to hurt that much if you don't think about it," she said.
CVS says it plans to expand locations offering the pediatric vaccines as the federal government releases more doses.