COVID-19 vaccinations for kids under 5 have been slow-going at in Dallas. That鈥檚 concerning to Chief Medical Officer Sharon Davis. She said the organization had pre-ordered vaccines and staffers were ready to distribute them to families, but there hasn鈥檛 been as much demand as she鈥檇 hoped for.
鈥淲e are really disappointed 鈥榗ause we have freezers full of vaccines,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e ready to go. We鈥檙e ready to start giving these out. So, that鈥檚 going to be the next big push.鈥�
In Dallas County, 1.5% of eligible kids 6 months through 4 years old have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, . Statewide, close to 4% of kids in this age group have been vaccinated.
Davis said the clinic has switched up its approach to offering vaccines: instead of touting appointments just for COVID shots, they鈥檙e offering COVID-19 vaccines for kids under five at the same time as back-to-school immunizations.
鈥淲e really want parents to start thinking that going forward, this is just a normal part of wellness,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he COVID vaccines are just like the other vaccines you鈥檙e giving your kids, and it鈥檚 just one of them to keep your child healthy.鈥�
said the low vaccination rate is not just a Texas problem, but one that鈥檚 plaguing providers all over the country.
鈥淭here鈥檚 always a little bit of hesitancy, particularly with younger children, when a new vaccine comes out,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e know these vaccines are very safe and very effective. Yes, they鈥檙e relatively new vaccines, but we have now a mountain of information about these vaccines.鈥�
Kahn said that while most kids have mild versions of the virus, not all do, and vaccination is the main way to reduce the severity and length of the virus.
鈥淚鈥檝e taken care of plenty of young children who have been hospitalized, some actually in the ICU, with pretty bad COVID,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his notion that it鈥檚 only people that are old, or only people who have underlying medical problems, that鈥檚 not true. This should be taken very seriously.鈥�
New data reported by the . The study compared kids who previously had COVID-19 to kids who had not contracted the virus. It found kids who had COVID-19 were more likely to develop heart inflammation, renal failure, blood clots and diabetes as post-COVID symptoms.
Kahn and Davis both emphasized the importance of getting kids vaccinated as the school year starts. Hospitalizations and cases have both been , and Davis expects that to continue into the fall.
鈥淣ew variants enter the population,鈥� Kahn said. 鈥淭he variants that are here start to change. We don鈥檛 know what the next weeks or months or year is going to be, so this is the time to protect your children.鈥�
COVID-19 vaccinations for kids between six months and 17 years old are available at , , and at in the county.
Got a tip? Email Elena Rivera at erivera@kera.org. You can follow Elena on Twitter .
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