A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel on Wednesday recommended the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12 to 15.
California health officials say the vaccine won’t be available for that age group until Thursday and that parents can’t make appointments through their county or the state just yet.
Some parents, however, have been able to schedule their kids for vaccinations through other avenues.
“They may be able to make appointments with their own providers or through retail pharmacies,” said Dr. Anand Chabra, San Mateo County’s COVID-19 vaccination branch chief.
CVS Health announced more than 500 of its pharmacies are currently scheduling vaccine appointments for the newly authorized group.
Booking appointments through the state’s My Turn website will begin on Thursday.
Parents or guardians will need to accompany young people to their appointment, but several counties say they’ll allow signed consent forms or verbal consent over the phone.
Most Bay Area counties are asking young people or parents to bring a form of identification such as a birth certificate, student ID or even a report card. Some counties, such as Contra Costa, do not require an ID.