City of Los Angeles vaccination sites started offering the COVID-19 vaccine to children as young as 12 on Friday.
Only the Pfizer jab is approved for the younger age group, children 12-15 years old. That means adolescents looking to get vaccinated will need to choose a location administering the company’s doses.
As of Friday morning, city sites using Pfizer included Los Angeles Southwest College, California State University Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Lincoln Park and Century City.
All city vaccine locations are offering the vaccine without appointments, but residents can still book a specific slot online or by calling 1-833-540-0473.
The children will need to have a parent or guardian with them when they get vaccinated, and they must bring a photo ID to verify their age, city officials said.
The city began vaccinating the youth a day after all L.A. County-operated sites began administering the shots to younger teens, also inoculating people without appointments.
On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention affirmed the recommendation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to expand the emergency authorization for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children 12 to 15 years of age, finding that it is safe and strongly protective.
The age group represents nearly 500,000 people in L.A. County.
With the vaccine approved for the younger children, county officials say schools are key for vaccinating the newly eligible students.
L.A. County partnered with 60 schools to vaccinate residents, especially in communities hit hardest by the pandemic.
As of Thursday, 37 school clinics were already administering the Pfizer vaccine and were able to begin vaccinating children.
CVS is also accepting vaccine appointments for those 12 and older in California.