PHILADELPHIA — Rite Aid will begin administering a booster dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine at select locations for eligible children ages 5 to 11, following approval by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, the company said Friday. Bartell Drugs, owned by Rite Aid Corp., will also begin administering boosters to this age group at select Seattle and Western Washington locations.

Karen Staniforth

“Protecting children through vaccination remains central in our continued fight against COVID-19 and caring for our communities,” said Karen Staniforth, chief pharmacy officer at Rite Aid. “As new COVID variants continue to spread, vaccination including boosters are critical in helping to prevent serious illness and hospitalization. We encourage anyone who hasn’t scheduled their primary vaccination series for themselves or their child to do so, and to get their boosters when eligible.”

Children in this age group are eligible to receive a booster dose five months or longer after completing their primary series.

Beginning Friday, parents or guardians can schedule eligible children using Rite Aid’s scheduling tool, https://www.RiteAid.com/schedule, or walk in at locations that are providing vaccines for this age group. To find a location nearest you please visit: https://www.RiteAid.com/schedule. For appointments and walk-in locations at Bartell Drugs, visit here: https://www.bartelldrugs.com/pharmacy/scheduler

Appointments must be scheduled by a parent or legal guardian, and children must be accompanied by an adult to their vaccine appointment.

To date, Rite Aid has administered more than 16 million COVID-19 vaccinations. COVID-19 vaccines – including booster doses for adults – are also available in-store and can be scheduled via the online scheduling tool.