Finding a COVID-19 vaccine for young kids may be difficult. Here's where to look.

When Arlyn Llewellyn saw a Facebook parent group post that the COVID-19 vaccine for toddlers was available at a CVS in Bloomington, she snatched an appointment as soon as she could.

As she drove her 2-year-old twins to the pharmacy, she told them they were going to the doctor’s office. They were going to get a shot in their leg, and it was going to make them strong — and then they would go to the park.

And that was that. The wait was finally over.

“If you’re like us you’ve been sort of holding your breath for over two years waiting for this,” she said of her and her husband, Steve.

COVID in Indiana: Should you be concerned about the rising COVID-19 rate in Monroe County?

About a week ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorized COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 6 months to 5 years. The CDC is recommending all kids in this age group get vaccinated with either Pfizer or Moderna.

Finding an appointment, though, is proving difficult for some Monroe County families. If Llewellyn wasn’t in that particular Facebook group, she may not have found a vaccine appointment for her children yet. Most local clinics and pediatricians haven’t received the vaccine, and the Indiana Department of Health’s ourshot.in.gov is sometimes less than reliable.

“It doesn’t feel like it’s an even playing field,” Llewellyn said. “It really feels like the information should be readily available to everybody at the same time.”

Where to get a COVID-19 vaccine for kids aged 6 months to 5 years in Monroe County

Lewellyn recommended families search through social media, as parents around the county are calling location after location to find the vaccine. If this isn’t possible, and a family’s pediatrician also doesn’t have the vaccine, the next step is to visit ourshot.in.gov.

On the site map, locations with vaccines available for kids under 5 will be marked with a red pin, according to the website. Some locations are not yet accepting appointments.

Families can also call the Monroe County Public Health Clinic at 812-353-3244 to schedule an appointment. The clinic has Pfizer and started vaccinating children in this age group this week, Interim Manager Lori Terrell said.

Although ourshot.in.gov marks several Monroe County locations with vaccines for children under 5, some may not actually have any shipments yet. For example, earlier this week, the website said Healthnet Bloomington Health Center, at 811 W. Second St., had vaccines available for the youngest age group — but a call to the clinic revealed the vaccine is not yet available at its location. A spokesperson for the clinic recommended calling every Friday to check if the shipment has arrived.

Riley Physicians around Monroe County are not yet scheduling COVID-19 vaccines for this age group but will soon. Families should frequently check the IU Health Southern Indiana Physicians Facebook page for updates on when the vaccine will be available.

Some CVS locations, such as the one at 2701 E. Third St. in Bloomington, will give the vaccine to kids under 3 because it has a Minute Clinic. Other CVS locations cannot give the vaccine to kids under 5. Some other locations, such as Kroger and Walmart, may receive the vaccine but haven’t yet, according to ourshot.in.gov.

The vaccines for this age group contain smaller doses than the adult vaccines. Pfizer’s vaccine, for 6-month-olds to 4-year-olds, is two doses given three weeks apart and a third dose given eight weeks after the second shot. Moderna’s vaccine, for 6-month-olds to 5-year-olds, is two doses given a month apart.

Southern Indiana counties providing COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5

The Owen County Health Department, at 9 N. Crane Ave. in Spencer, has Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for kids 6 months and older. The department can schedule appointments and take walk-ins. Parents can take their children 6 months and older to the health department to get the COVID-19 vaccine on Mondays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The Greene County Health Department, at 217 E. Spring St. in Bloomfield, has the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for this age group. Call the department to make an appointment or arrive for a walk-in Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Lawrence County Health Department does not yet have a shipment of COVID-19 vaccines for this age group but will in the next few weeks.

The Morgan County Health Department is not set to receive any shipments of the vaccine for this age group.

Contact Christine Stephenson at cstephenson@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Where to get the COVID-19 vaccine for 6 months and up in Bloomington