Parkland Hospital has started vaccinations of children as young as 12. The CDC has recommended use of the Pfizer vaccine for kids between the ages of 12 and 15.
-courtesy Alan Scaia
"In the development of these, there were no shortcuts in the process," says Dallas County Health Director Phil Huang. "They're building on the science that had been developed for years before this. It wasn't just a rushed, brand-new process for developing a vaccine."
Huang says people 17 and younger have accounted for 21% of COVID-19 cases over the past week. He says the CDC's decision opens up the vaccine to another six percent of Texans.
"We know kids do get sick. We've had, in our own community, at least one death due to COVID among a child. We know there are hospitalizations among kids in our own community," Huang says. "It can be very serious. These vaccines are safe. They're effective. To prevent that is so important."
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins' daughter was among the first to be vaccinated at Parkland Thursday morning.
"I look forward to having a birthday party, going to school without having to wear a mask, going to dance class without having to wear a mask," Madeline Jenkins says. "Hopefully, I can go to Disney World eventually because that sounds really fun."
"It sounds fun to me, too," Clay Jenkins replied.
Clay Jenkins says he brought his daughter as soon as Parkland opened to convince other people who may still be hesitant about getting the vaccine or getting it for their kids.
"I want to try to reassure moms and dads the vaccine is safe," he says.
Parkland is offering the vaccine at its main hospital and two other locations without an appointment to anyone 12 and older:
Ellis Davis Fieldhouse is open 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday:
9191 S. Polk St.
Dallas, TX 75232
Dallas College--Eastfield Campus is open Monday through Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.:
3737 Motley Dr.
Mesquite, TX 75150
Jenkins says the hub at Fair Park will begin vaccinating kids as young as 12 Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. He says he has been talking with school superintendents in Dallas County to bus students to vaccination sites.
"You can sign a consent form with your school, the same sort of form you'd sign for a field trip," Jenkins says. "The school has your signature, and so that will work for us. The kids will be bused to Fair Park or Ellis Davis Fieldhouse. They'll come on the bus, give them their shot, watch the bus for 15 minutes, and they'll go back to school. The important thing is to take advantage of this. We've got summer vacations coming. With the shot means more freedom."
