GREAT FALLS — Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) endorsed the Food & Drug Administration's authorization of the emergency use of the Pfizer COVID vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years old.
On Wednesday, November 10, Alluvion Health hosted a COVID vaccine clinic for kids at North Middle School.
"We have people in our family who are older, we have people who are immunocompromised,” said Clinton Topel, whose son received a vaccine.
"It was a no-brainer,” said Lisa Decelles as she sat with her two kids after getting them vaccinated. Decelles didn't just have her kids in mind when she got them vaccinated: "My mom is imunocompromised and she has COPD, so we just really want to protect her and I really want to protect them,” she explained.
Topel also had others on his mind. He said, "I know that the chances of this guy getting real sick from COVID are probably pretty small, but by the same token I don't want him to be spreading it around to our loved ones and I want him to be able to be around his great-grandparents.”
As for their thoughts on the vaccine being highly politicized?
"I kind of stay out of the polarization. I look at science. I feel like I trust our doctor and what the science says and I don't get caught up in the partisan bickering,” said Topel.
"If other people don't want to get it done, we're not going to argue with them,” said Decelles.
Alluvion Health will host another vaccine clinic at North Middle School on December 1, and also at Paris Gibson Education Center on November 17 and December 8. Each clinic will be from 2-6 p.m. and no appointment is necessary, but a parent or guardian must be with the child. For more information, click here to visit the Alluvion Health website.
Benefis Health System also began giving vaccines to children on Wednesday. It will host vaccine clinics every Wednesday at Benefis Pediatrics (1300 28th Street South) from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. through December 8 for kids age 5 to 11. Appointments are required and can be made by clicking here. Shots will not be available for those 12 and older at these clinics, as those dosages are different. Click here for more information.
