Wake County expands COVID booster vaccine offerings to 16 and 17-year-olds

Vaccine appointments are available Friday at local Walgreens stores for teenagers 16 and older who just became eligible for Pfizer's COVID-19 booster shot.

Posted 10:26 a.m. Dec 10, 2021 — Updated 5:31 p.m. Dec 10, 2021

Kasey Cunningham

, WRAL reporter

Vaccine appointments are available Friday at local Walgreens stores for teenagers 16 and older who just became eligible for Pfizer's COVID-19 booster shot.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for use as a booster in people ages 16 and 17. Hours later, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave final approval.

Also on Monday in Wake County, the health department will expand its vaccine offerings to allow single-shot boosters of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to 16 and 17-year-olds at all five of its locations.

Just like in those 18 and older, the booster is available to anyone eligible six months after their initial vaccines.

16- and 17-year-olds are now eligible for a Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine booster

Doctors are encouraging teenagers to get their booster shots for added protection against the virus. The approval comes as COVID-19 cases spike just two weeks before Christmas.

On Thursday, North Carolina reported 4,153 new cases, the first time the state has reported a number over 4,000 since early October.

Since it takes about two weeks for booster protection to fully kick in, teenagers who get vaccinated this week could be protected just in time for Christmas.

Doctors offices, county health departments and pharmacies are also expected to begin offering boosters to teenagers. As of Friday morning, the CVS website wasn't showing booster availability for anyone under 18, but that is expected to change.

Find a list of places to get a shot here.