COVID-19 vaccines will soon be available to younger children at National City schools as part of a partnership with the county and the Samahan Health Center, it was announced Tuesday.
The National School District secured 8,000 doses of Pfizer's pediatric COVID-19 vaccine -- enough to fully vaccinate 4,000 students ages 5 to 11 at all 10 schools. The partnership comes on the heels of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for kids in that age range.
COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids
“As a parent of three NSD students, I know our National City youth -- the next generation of leaders -- are ready to be part of the solution,” Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis said in a statement. “National City will continue to work with our partners to provide convenient, safe and abundant access to the COVID-19 vaccine for our families, parents, caregivers and their little ones!”
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The decision to make the shots available at schools was made in order to provide children a comfortable and familiar vaccine site. The shots will be available at one campus at a time beginning Nov. 10, with Central Elementary School being the first to offer them. After that, availability will come as part of a rotating schedule between the public schools.
One South Bay mother said she is relieved the vaccine has been made available to kids as young as 5-years-old.
“We have the protections that are available in place, such as face masks at school within their desks. They have the plexiglass and then, of course, social distancing," said Luz Molina Lopez. "But I feel so much more comfortable knowing that they will be vaccinated."
She added that her eldest child is already vaccinated but her two youngest were previously not eligible to get their shots due to their age. Lopez said she's glad they'll now be able to get inoculated.
Not all parents are on board with the move, however. Sandra Vazquez, another National City mother, told NBC 7 she is still hesitant to get her children the vaccine.
“We’re still having little doubts about it because it’s a recent vaccine and some of the kids have medical conditions like heart conditions and other lung conditions like asthma," Vazquez explained. "So, we’re waiting to see their pediatricians to see if it’s safe for them to get the vaccine.”
For more information on getting the COVID-19 vaccine in National City, click here.
