‘We just want some normalcy back.’ Why Columbus families are getting their kids vaccinated
The Columbus Health Department vaccinated 120 children this week after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer vaccine for ages 5-11.
The walk-in pediatric vaccine clinic held Monday through Wednesday was aimed at children under 12, though any eligible kids who showed up to the clinic received a shot.
“This is going to give us an opportunity now to provide some protection to our population that is in our school system who we know have a congregate setting as a part of their day-to-day operation,” Dr. Asante Hilts, program manager for the West Central Health District, told the Ledger-Enquirer.
Although kids in this age group are not typically at a high risk of severe illness from COVID-19, it is important for them to get vaccinated to protect other children who may be immunocompromised at school, Hilts said, and to prevent them from spreading the virus when they come home.
Protecting more vulnerable family members was why Sheila Phelps brought her 7-year-old grandson, Brenden, to the vaccine clinic on Monday. Brenden has younger siblings, including a newborn, that he wants to keep safe, the two said.
It was important to Sheila, a teacher, that Brenden is safe from the virus while he’s at school. This was also a concern for Vickie Bailey, who brought her 9-year-old granddaughter Abigail Vinnie to be vaccinated.
“They’re going to school, and you don’t know what they’re getting into,” Bailey said. “So, it’s very important to us to make sure she’s vaccinated.”
Getting back to less restrictions and worry was a factor for other parents at the clinic. Tonia Harris-Coley brought her two youngest children, 8-year-old Hilton and 9-year-old Hudson, to be vaccinated.
“We’ve been through COVID,” Harris-Coley said. “We’ve lost a lot of people through COVID, and we just want some normalcy back in our lives.”
Since her youngest children were not vaccinated, she was wary about going certain places with them. While the vaccine will alleviate some of her concerns, she said the family will continue to be safe and wear masks.
Residents may bring their children to get vaccinated any time the health department is open Monday through Friday, Hilts said. The health department will have another clinic for children ages 5-11 on Tuesday and Thursday from 3-6 p.m.
Other locations, such as Walmart pharmacy and CVS pharmacy, have started scheduling vaccination appointments for children under 12.
Here’s a look at overall COVID vaccination trends for Muscogee County, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health Vaccine Dashboard.
Muscogee County
Muscogee County has fully vaccinated 78,332 (40%) residents, and 88,404 (45%) have received at least one dose of the vaccine, as of November 10.
The FDA fully approved the Pfizer vaccine on Aug. 23, and since that time the number of people who have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Muscogee County has risen 5%. The percentage of people who are fully vaccinated rose by 6%.
More women than men are vaccinated in Muscogee County, with women accounting for 56.2% of those who have received at least one dose of the vaccine and men making up 42.8%.
Among all women in the county, 49.5% are vaccinated, while 39.3% of all men in Muscogee County are vaccinated.
Residents ages 65-74 are the most vaccinated age range in the county, with 98.7% of the group vaccinated. They are followed by people ages 75-84, of whom 86.8% are vaccinated. However, of those who are vaccinated, people ages 55-64 make up the majority.
Asian residents in Muscogee County are the most vaccinated racial group, with 61.6% of the population vaccinated. White and Black residents are vaccinated at a similar rate, with 39.9% and 40.9% of the populations vaccinated, respectively.
Black residents account for the largest portion of people, 40.6%, who have received at least one dose of the vaccine. White residents are the second largest portion of those vaccinated, accounting for 40%.
Residents can find information about vaccination rates in their specific neighborhoods by going to the Georgia Department of Health’s Vaccine Dashboard. The dashboard allows users to zoom in on specific census tracts at the county level.
This story was originally published November 12, 2021 at 12:17 PM.
