Henry County

Kids across metro Atlanta could soon be vaccinated against COVID-19

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — It may not be much longer until kids between the ages of five and eleven across metro Atlanta are able to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Some school districts, like Henry County, have gone mask-optional as COVID-19 cases have began to decline.

Doctors say, though, that the best way to keep those cases from rising once again is to vaccinate as many children as possible.

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Parents like Amy Ayer are ready for the vaccine to be cleared for kids.

“She’s been ready for this vaccine since I got mine,” Ayer told Channel 2′s Matt Johnson.

Ayer says her 8-year-old daughter, Abigayle, will be one of the first kids in Georgia to get a COVID-19 vaccine once it’s authorized for her.

“We’ve been talking about it and how safe it is and how we’re going to get back to being able to do so much stuff again,” she said.

The Biden administration laid out plans Wednesday for getting children vaccinated as the FDA considers authorizing it for them next month.

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Only 49% of Georgians are fully vaccinated, and not all parents are ready to add their kids to that total.

“I don’t think that children are at high risk. I give them vitamin C every single day. I’ve been doing it, you know, I mean, I did it before, but I I’ve stayed on it even more so now,” said Stephanie Clack, a mother from Barrow County.

Once the vaccine is approved for kids, there will not be any mega sites. Pharmacies and pediatricians are expected to play a larger role in getting them vaccinated.

“I think by probably the first or second week of November, we’re going to start seeing vaccines for five to eleven-year-olds being available. And the White House is working to make America available at pediatricians offices,” said Dr. Carlos Del Rio with Emory University.

Dr. Hugo Scornik is a pediatrician in Rockdale County and says fellow pediatricians want to be part of the next phase of the vaccine rollout.

“Pediatricians are already working with the Department of Public Health and pre-ordering doses, so we hope many pediatricians will be ready soon after approval,” he told Johnson.

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The owner of Wender and Roberts Pharmacy in Buckhead, Loren Pierce, says staff are getting calls about how to get children vaccinated.

“I think everybody is ready to get this behind us. And the more we can move towards herd immunity, you know, children is just in vaccinating our children’s just a piece of that,” said Pierce.

“We’re gonna really feel safer once she’s vaccinated,” said Ayer.

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