Vigo’s children are starting to get the COVID-19 vaccine | Local news

On Friday afternoon, Sarah Lee took her two children, 11 and 7 years old, Mark and Ava to the Vigo County Health Department Clinic for the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“They are two of the five children in our family, have a nearly one-year-old sister who cannot be vaccinated, and a 96-year-old great-grandmother who likes to meet often.” Said Sarah Lee. “It’s the protection of them and all the people around them.”

Mark and Ava, who attend St. Patricks School, also participate in activities such as sports, and there is a lot of close contact, and it is possible that the participants’ masks have been removed. “It’s probably helping prevent the spread, and also helping themselves — hopefully this will help reduce the severity if they come in contact with it,” says Sara Lee. I did.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention approved a pediatric vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years on November 2, and a nationwide effort to inoculate that age group took place on November 8.

Pfizer vaccines for ages 5-11 are offered in small doses of 10 micrograms compared to 30 micrograms given to people over 12 years of age. Similar to the vaccine for the elderly, it is given twice every 3 weeks.

In the United States, nearly 10% of U.S. ages 5-11 have been vaccinated with the first coronavirus vaccine, and only two of the immunization campaigns against 28 million young Americans in that age group, according to the Washington Post. A week later.

By the end of last Wednesday, White House officials estimated that 2.6 million children under the age of 12 had received their first shot.

As of Friday, 486 children between the ages of 5 and 11 were receiving the first dose in Vigo County, according to the Indiana Department of Health. This is about 5.7% of the estimated 8,500 children of that age group in Vigo County.

Throughout Indiana, as of Friday, 43,402 children between the ages of 5 and 11 received the first dose of 608,800 in that age group, or 7.1% of the total population.

At the Vigo County Health Department clinic, sixth-grade Mark Lee said the shot wasn’t hurt, “I didn’t even really feel it. I didn’t feel it either. ” At first I was nervous, but after that he said, “I was fine.”

Ava also said she was nervous at first, but it didn’t hurt. She said it worked better than expected.

Mark believes it is important to get the COVID vaccine, especially when visiting friends and older relatives.

Mark told his mother that he wanted to get the vaccine in February, when he was 12 years old, before children aged 5 to 11 had access to the vaccine. When the vaccine became available in his age group, the family decided to move on.

“I find them more comfortable doing extracurricular activities. I think that was my main concern,” said Sara Lee. “It’s the basketball season. They’re breathing hard and everyone has their faces.” Also, many of the restrictions that were in force last year, including participation in the game, have been lifted.

She has two older children, 14 and 16 years old, and is also receiving the COVID vaccine.

Sara Lee, a teacher at North Vigo High School, said she was hospitalized for three days with H1N1 in the fall of 2009 when she became pregnant, and that experience influenced her view of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The family had no option to see a doctor, and Sara Lee had already taken her older children to a health clinic for vaccination. “This setting felt a bit more comfortable than the pharmacy setting,” she said. “I felt when they administered it [at the health department clinic], It won’t be so fast and crowded, “and she was able to better monitor it and ask questions.

On Wednesday, Joysatter took his two children, ages 7 and 9, to a local supercenter pharmacy for the first COVID-19 vaccine.

“We want to fly for Christmas, and we wanted to get the vaccine before that,” she said. 9-year-old Jovan and 7-year-old Juniper had a pain in their arms and were a little tired the next day. “But everything else seems okay.”

Sutter wanted more children to participate in clinical trials of the Pfizer vaccine aged 5-11 years.

However, she also believes that in the long run, vaccines are a safer option than the long-term adverse effects of being infected with COVID-19.

Both Satter and her husband have been vaccinated. Children are homeschooled and families continue to take precautions such as masking and maintaining outdoor activities wherever possible.

She found it a little difficult for her children to get the vaccine. One site was shut down and they had to wait in line elsewhere. “It was harder than I was vaccinated,” she said.

She encourages others to vaccinate children aged 5 to 11 years.

“I think it’s a priority … for the general public as a whole for their health,” she said. Her children are healthy, but she also wants to protect their less healthy friends.

“It seems like an investment in line risk in their lives,” Satter said. “Let’s finish. Let’s move on to the next.”

Several sites in Vigo County offer vaccinations to 5 to 11 people. To find and register these sites, please visit. ourshot.in.gov..

Sue Loughlin has 812-231-4235 or [email protected] Follow Sue on Twitter @ TribStarSue.