Best ways to find your child a COVID-19 vaccine in Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- As kids head back to school after their holiday break and Omicron variant cases continue to surge, it might be on the mind of parents to get their children vaccinated. However, the pediatric Pfizer vaccine, approved for children aged 5-11, is not as widely available as a vaccine or booster for adult.
The El Paso County Health Department said there are numerous options available throughout the county to get your child the shot including vaccine clinics and drive-thru sites, El Paso County Public Health, and pharmacies. You can find out more about those options here.
The county health department said they encourage local residents to check the county's vaccine finder website, as opposed to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's website, which can be found here.
If you use the state's website and filter your search by "COVID-19 Vaccination" and "Children" you will see the soonest time for your child to get their dose is on Monday Jan. 10 at Charis Medical Center Inc Family Medicine. However, if you search without using the "Children" filter and instead use "All Ages" you will see that there are appointments at the Chapel Hills Mall and Citadel Mall clinics for vaccines including those aged 5-11.
This is an apparent glitch on the state's website that can be confusing to parents who are understandably searching using the "children" filter.
CDPHE said, "We are working through some issues with the reservation platform that can make it difficult to find the earliest available date at the desired location."
In the meantime, the state encourages parents to call 1-877-CO VAX CO (1-877-268-2926) if they're having trouble scheduling.
Despite the issues, the state said Colorado is prepared to handle the demand for child vaccines. "We are confident that any Colorado parent who wants to get their child vaccinated will be able to do so," CDPHE said.
If you use the county's website: on their "Where can I get the vaccine?" page, you can easily navigate to a direct link of the state's website where you can find vaccine clinics for ages 5 and up.
The listed providers of vaccines for children aged 5-11 are the Chapel Hills Mall clinic, the Citadel Mall clinic, Children's Hospital, Safeway, and Walgreens. EPCPH said the Chapel Hills and Citadel Mall clinics take same-day appointments and offer the pediatric vaccine everyday they are open.
Public Health also said there are currently enough pediatric vaccines in El Paso County to meet the demand.
