DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF) – COVID-19 shots are now being administered to young children in North Texas.
Following emergency approval of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine for 5 to 11 year-olds, it didn’t take long for some North Texas parents to get their kids signed up for the shots.
“Knowing that the numbers are lower and having the whole family’s vaccinated we can change some of our decisions,” a father said while waiting on his young son to be vaccinated in Dallas County. “I don’t know what those decisions will be but we will feel better about those decisions we make.”
Dallas County vaccinated a small amount of newly eligible children on Wednesday, but will significantly ramp up the number of administered shots in coming days.
Appointments can be made with a pediatrician, a pharmacy, or the county.
“The good news is we have plenty of Vaccine,” Dallas County Health Director Phil Huang said.
The Texas Department of State Health Services said Wednesday that it has instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ship Pfizer’s pediatric COVID-19 vaccine to over 900 providers in 155 Texas counties over the next week. The CDC will deliver 1,010,700 doses of the vaccine to Texas vaccine providers and 349,200 doses will be delivered to pharmacies in the federal pharmacy program to vaccinate children between the ages of 5 and 11. More than 400,000 doses of vaccine have already arrived with 162,000 expected to arrive today, and delivery of the full amount will continue through the next week.
“Vaccinating children between the ages of 5 and 11 helps to protect all Texans from COVID-19,” said Dr. John Hellerstedt, DSHS commissioner. “Twenty-two Texas children between the ages of 5 and 11 have died from complications of COVID-19 and 118 have been diagnosed with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children. The pediatric vaccine will further help reduce the spread of disease and prevent the rare but serious complications of COVID-19 in this age group.”
To find a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Tarrant County, visit HERE.
For COVID-19 vaccine information or to join Denton County Public Health’s Vaccine Interest Portal Waitlist, visit HERE.
Listen to Clayton Neville’s story below:
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