FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Washington County Health Department (WCHD) has pediatric doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and started giving those doses on Wednesday, Nov. 3.
WCHD will be sending doses to local pharmacies and clinics that are part of the vaccines for children program. Pediatrician, Dr. Marti Sharkey with the Fayetteville Board of Health says pharmacies and clinics will start giving the shots at different times because this is a process.
“Because this vaccine we have to retrain on. It is diluted differently, it is stored differently, it’s a different dosage, so we have to make sure that everybody is on the same page as far as all those metrics go before, we start putting doses in arms,” Dr. Sharkey said.
Dr. Sharkey expects by the first of next week the pediatric doses are going to be widely available throughout the county.
The Fayetteville School District (FSD) is already planning vaccine clinics at elementary and middle schools for these students who are now eligible.
FSD spokesman, Alan Wilbourn says parents will be getting emails this week with more information. He says getting more students vaccinated against the virus will help to lower their quarantine numbers even more.
“If you are fully vaccinated and you come in contact with or exposed to a person who is positive and you’re fully vaccinated, you do not have to quarantine and that’s huge in terms of keeping kids in school,” Wilbourn said.
Pediatricians' offices will be getting doses first, but you’ll also find the pediatric doses mainly in the same places that offered the other doses in addition to Arkansas Children’s Northwest. It’s recommended that parents first check their pediatrician’s website before calling.
The Fayetteville School District will be holding its vaccine clinics from Nov. 15 to Nov. 19.
To find a pharmacy offering COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11, use the Arkansas Department of Health map below.
You can also find COVID-19 vaccine clinics by following this link or calling (800) 803-7847.