“It goes fast.” Young children roll up their sleeves for vaccines in Contra Costa

After 9-year-old Ashbey Asuncion was vaccinated with COVID-19, what he was most looking forward to was going out without a mask and teaching his brother how to cartwheel.

She and her sibling, Avery, 6 years old, received their first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic at Nyström Elementary School in Richmond on Tuesday. This is one of the first Contra Costa Health Services clinics for children ages 5-11. Health Services has partnered with a variety of healthcare providers to provide free vaccine clinics to schools and communities throughout the county over the next few weeks.

Health Services administered 77 vaccines at Nystrom, 61 of which were given to elementary school students. We hosted two other clinics at San Pablo Elementary School on Tuesday. We distributed 52 vaccines in Highlands and 60 vaccines in Tara Hills.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started Recommended Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years after the Federal Pharmacy has given an emergency permit.

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According to the county’s deputy health officer, Dr. Sephanit Meklia, the Department of Health Services and the county’s Department of Education held a city hall session to inform parents about pediatric vaccines and address concerns. Many of Mekuria’s questions Parents are about research About the effect of the vaccine on children.

“There is so much false information out there that we want to make sure people have the right source of information,” said Meklia.

In Nistrom, four vaccine stations were set up and a line of children and parents was waiting by 3:00 pm. Disney songs were played in the background, and cookies were waiting for the kids to bravely roll up their sleeves. Some children cried and curled up on their parents’ lap so as not to look at the needles. Most were holding their parents’ hands.

After Ashbey and Avery took the shot, they entered the recovery room. In the classroom, children were being monitored for allergic reactions. When she folded the napkin to complete the cookie, Ashbay said she remembered the shot was over.

“It doesn’t hurt so much,” she said.

Their mother, Sarah Asuncion, hugged Avery when she was shot. Both Asuncion’s children attend El Cerrito’s Prospect Sierra School, but Sara Asuncion said she and her husband had a hard time finding vaccination appointments, and the Nystrom Clinic was the most convenient. rice field. Another advantage of going to the school clinic was that her children were more comfortable there.

“I think it’s nice to have all the little kids so that you can see other kids doing it,” said Sara Asuncion.

It helped 12-year-old Carlym Harris see his classmates vaccinated before him. He was nervous at first, but after seeing a jab in his arm, he loosened.

“Oh, it goes fast,” Curlym said. “I can get over it.”

Carreem was in the clinic with her already vaccinated grandmother, Beverly Russell. Protecting her health is of great concern to Russell, who often visits her 65-year-old and 92-year-old mother. According to the CDC, the health risk of COVID-19 is higher for people over the age of 50. She said she didn’t have to talk to her grandchildren to be shot.

“He wants to get it. He’s old enough to hear the news and everything he hears, and he lives with me, so I have to protect a little too. Must be, “Russell said.

After the shot, Curlym said his arm was slightly stabbed but not so much. He wanted other kids to know that it wouldn’t hurt and that they shouldn’t be afraid to get it.

Older children in the West Contra Costa Unified School District must be vaccinated by the end of the month. NS Board of education passed The mission on September 30 is to request a vaccine from children over the age of 12. Within hours of voting, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that state-wide missions would impact the semester after the pediatric vaccine received full FDA approval.

During October, Health Services partnered with WCCUSD to introduce mobile vaccine clinics in district middle and high schools. As of this week, nearly 90% of children aged 12 to 15 in the county have been fired. To the county vaccine dashboard.. Only about 1% of infants have been vaccinated, and the number is increasing as more clinics come online.

Clinic location, date and time County COVID-19 website..