Prisma Health in Sumter, CVS offering Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to ages 12 and up

Prisma Health, which runs Sumter's Tuomey Hospital, started vaccinating adolescents aged 12-15 Thursday following the U.S. Federal Drug Administration's authorization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation of Pfizer's two-dose COVID-19 vaccine for children that age.

Dr. Rick Scott, co-chair of Prisma Health's vaccine task force, said vaccines are available at "all of our vaccination sites." Previously, Pfizer's vaccine was open to anyone aged 16 or older. It is currently the only COVID-19 vaccine available to children younger than 18.

Parents can schedule their child's appointment through Prisma Health's MyChart at https://mychart.prismahealth.org/. For children who don't have an account, parents can create one online or by calling 833-PRISMA.

Prisma Health has given about 400,000 vaccines.

Tuomey operates its vaccine clinic at the Sumter County Civic Center on weekdays and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Walk-ins are available for adults.

CVS offering appointments and walk-ins for ages 12+

COVID-19 vaccine appointments for people ages 12 to 15 are now available for scheduling at more than 5,600 CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide, including 38 across South Carolina, which includes Bishopville, Manning and Sumter.

Parental or legal guardian consent is required, and children must be accompanied by an adult. Parental consent is not required for teens aged 16-18.

Patients are encouraged to schedule an appointment online at www.cvs.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app to ensure availability. Walk-ins are also accepted. The CVS scheduling tool will only display appointments at CVS Pharmacy locations that have the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine once the patient's age is provided.

To date, CVS Health has administered more than 17 million COVID-19 vaccines in the long-term care and retail setting and will be offering vaccinations at more than 9,600 CVS Pharmacy locations across 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., as of Sunday, May 16, including 206 locations in South Carolina. Nearly 85% of the U.S. population resides within 10 miles of a CVS Pharmacy.

About 35% of South Carolina residents have been completely vaccinated.