The possibility of the parties, vacations and family gatherings energized six families who attended the COVID-19 vaccination event on Wednesday inside Memorial Hermann, the morning after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially expanded eligibility to kids from 5- to 11-years-old. Eager parents are clamoring for an opportunity to vaccinate their children after an especially challenging wave of infections, which hit a peak in late August just as kids returned to school.
Texas Children’s Hospital administered its first dose of the vaccine at 6:15 a.m., and is expected to administer thousands more throughout the week to children with an appointment, which are now only available as soon as Nov. 18. Memorial Hermann is making the vaccine available to walk-ins at its hospital campuses, beginning Thursday morning.
Parents, many of whom were affiliated with the Memorial Hermann system, shared their own harrowing experiences with the virus at Thursday’s vaccine event. Chris Lange, the father of 8-year-old and 5-year-old girls, said he is still dealing with brain fog after an aggressive bout with COVID during the February winter freeze.
The kids caught a less severe infection, but the experience raised the urgency of vaccination, he said.
“This whole (pandemic) is just such a drain on everyone,” he said. “Knowing that now maybe we don’t have to worry about schools closing. We don’t have to worry about kids staying home. I mean, that’s a big win.”
I’ve seen plenty of celebrating, on Facebook and Twitter, by friends who have kids in the 5-11 age range, much as I did when the shots were cleared for ages 12 and up. I figure we’ll see a big spike in vax rates in the first couple of weeks, then it will settle at a much lower level as the eager folks all get it done and what’s left are the more hesitant and resistant. Every little bit helps, that much is for sure.