ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The Rock Island County Health Department hosted its third COVID-19 vaccine clinic for kids ages 5-11 on Friday, Nov. 12.
As of Thursday, around 110 kids had gotten their first dose at the health department, according to Janet Hill, chief operating officer and public information officer.
At the clinic was Erika Byrd-Walls with her seven-year-old twins, Ebony and Anthony. She said both were "excited" to get their shots.
"It feels great because they'll be able to be around family members or grandparents and not have that you know, I guess that scary little linger of not being vaccinated." Walls said.
The twins said they were "happy" to get their shots and not scared at all.
"I could feel it, but it was a little quick," Ebony Walls said. "So it was, it was like it's okay."
For Erika, parenting during a pandemic has been worrisome, and while she was a little nervous about getting her kids vaccinated, it's now a sigh of relief.
"What parent isn't nervous about the vaccine? But I mean, we can't be selfish, can we?" she said. "It'll give us a little bit more of a peace of mind as far as making sure that they're going to be okay around other kids and around their teachers as well as they're in school."
Anthony Granja is eleven years old. He also came to get his first dose. After watching both of his parents get vaccinated previously, he was glad it was finally his turn.
"It's really cool," he said. "It's so easy."
Even though shots aren't his favorite thing in the world, he said he had nothing to be worried about.
"I was really nervous to get it, but like it really didn't hurt at all," he said. "Just like a little pinch."
According to Hill, since Nov. 1, there have been 590 new COVID-19 cases, and 203 of those, or 34%, are children.
“Last fall as more people tended to congregate indoors, we saw a devastating surge of cases and deaths," Hill said. "The difference this year is that everyone five and older is eligible to be vaccinated. Please get you and your eligible-age children vaccinated as soon as possible to prevent more illness, hospitalizations, missed school days, and, unfortunately, death. Vaccination is how we will end this pandemic.”
The Rock Island County Health Department will host another vaccine clinic at its offices at 2112 25th Avenue on Saturday, Nov. 20. Registration for appointments will go live on its Facebook page at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18.
62,209 kids between 5-11 have gotten a first dose of the vaccine, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. In Rock Island County, 1.83% of that age group has received a first dose.