INDIANAPOLIS — The Marion County Public Health Department has opened a COVID-19 vaccination site on the west side of Indianapolis specifically for children ages 5-11.
As of Thursday night, about 800 kids in Marion County have rolled up their sleeves. Health department director Dr. Virginia Caine said she is pleased with the turnout.
“It’s a good beginning for a first week,” she said.
After seeing such high demand for the vaccine, Caine said the county decided to open the kids-only clinic to make appointments easier and more accessible.
“What we found out is that at our other clinics, we were having a lot of adults fill up those appointments a lot quicker than the parents with children and it was creating a barrier,” said Caine.
Marion County health officials said they aren’t worried about running out of the vaccine and say more shipments will be on the way.
“Right now, we seem to be OK with the supplies that are being provided to us,” Caine said.
With the holidays approaching, many families said they are looking to get their children vaccinated sooner than later.
Sharron Jones brought her son to the clinic on Thursday after struggling to find a time slot earlier this week.
“I got up this morning and I am like, ‘Oh they are open,’ because the rest of the appointments say Dec. 9 and I’m like we got to get in before Dec. 9 because we are going to go see family,” Jones said.
Caine said it’s a good idea for families to sign up before the holidays and family gatherings.
“You have a much larger gathering of people for the holidays. You have more people traveling during the holidays and it’s so important to try and make sure you have as many people vaccinated that are coming into your household as possible. That way you have the opportunity to socialize and interact with family members that you may have not seen in a while,” said Caine.
According to the state’s vaccine dashboard, more than 8,800 young Hoosiers have been vaccinated as of Thursday morning.
The clinic will open at 3685 Commercial Drive. Parents can make an appointment by visiting ourshot.in.gov or calling 211. Walk-ins will be served when possible.
The clinic will be open from 3-7 p.m. on the following dates:
- Thursday, November 11
- Monday, November 15
- Wednesday, November 17
- Thursday, November 18
- Monday, November 22
- Monday, November 29
- Wednesday, December 1
- Thursday, December 2
The clinic will offer the Pfizer vaccine only at the pediatric dose, so the vaccine will not be available for those ages 12 and older.
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