UNC Health Southeastern, Cape Fear Valley Health making COVID-19 vaccine available to children

The Robesonian, Lumberton, N.C.
·2 min read

May 12—LUMBERTON — Two area health care systems have begun offering COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 12-15.

UNC Health Southeastern and Cape Fear Valley Health are offering the Pfizer vaccine to children after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued and emergency use authorization expanding the vaccine for children.

UNC Health Southeastern is now accepting appointments for vaccinations to be administered beginning next week for children ages 12-15, pending U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approval. Vaccines are administered every Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Southeastern Health Mall Clinic, on the campus of Biggs Park Mall. Vaccinations may be scheduled in advance by visiting srmc.org and clicking on "Get Vaccinated."

Anyone ages 12-17 who would like to receive the vaccine must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. There is no cost to the patient for the vaccine.

Southeastern Health Mall Clinic is located at 2934 N. Elm St., Suite B, in Lumberton. For more information, call 910-671-5395.

Cape Fear Valley Health's COVID-19 vaccine clinics began vaccinating people ages 12 and older on Tuesday.

"We anticipated and are prepared for the expansion of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for individuals aged 12 to 15," said Chris Tart, vice president of Professional Services. "We are glad to see access increased for the Pfizer vaccine to this age group, which is another step in getting the country to herd immunity and ending the pandemic."

Cape Fear Valley's COVID-19 vaccine clinics now accept walk-in patients until clinic capacity is reached. Appointments are also still available.

With the exception of the Bladen Express Care clinic in Elizabethtown, appointments can be made online at www.capefearvalley.com/covid19. The Bladen clinic is only accepting appointments by phone, at 910-862-2122. Appointments for this week are now open.

Patients between the ages of 12 and 18 must have a parent or guardian present to receive their vaccinations.

First doses of Moderna will no longer be available, but patients can still receive their second Moderna dose at the same location they received their first dose. Cape Fear Valley is operating four clinics with first-dose shots of the Pfizer vaccine. Appointments are never required for second doses, but patients are asked to return to the same location where they received their first dose in order to receive their second dose.