Booster shots and child COVID vaccinations keep climbing in RI

CUMBERLAND – Growing numbers of children in the youngest group eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, 5 to 11 years old, are getting their shots.

The number of adults receiving booster shots is rising, too.

On both counts, the Requintina family is doing their part.

Father Edwin Jr. was boosted last week, and his wife, Brett, is scheduled for next week.

Son Brandon is 4 and will be getting his first shot next spring, when he turns 5.

And daughter Aya, 6, got hers two weeks ago, not long after children 5 to 11 became eligible.

“She was a little nervous about the shot, but she was very excited about being vaccinated,” Brett Requintina told The Journal in an interview Tuesday.

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Over quickly and no tears

Aya Requintina received her vaccination at a clinic run by ​Cumberland’s Department of Emergency Medical Services. “Cumberland EMS did an amazing job making the vaccine clinic fun and kid-friendly,” her mother said.

Their diligence paid off.

Aya’s shot “hurt a little bit, just like a flu shot,” her mother said. “It was over quickly and there weren't any tears. She doesn't seem to have any worries over getting the second one and talked more about all of the fun things they had at the clinic than about the shot itself.”

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The state Department of Health says the latest data reveal that 157,462 booster shots have been administered, with a daily high of 6,135 on Nov. 19. And among the roughly 80,000 children 5 to 11 years old in Rhode Island, 18,270, or nearly a quarter, have received their first dose.

'Some strong uptake'

“We worked hard to ensure that our vaccination infrastructure was ready for the expansion of eligibility for younger children, and for the expansion of booster eligibility,” Tom McCarthy, executive director of the state Health Department’s COVID Response Unit, wrote in an email to The Journal.

“We have seen some strong uptake here at the onset, but we have a lot of Rhode Islanders ... to still reach in both of these populations, especially as the weather gets colder and we all start moving indoors. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and the people in your life.”

For Brett Requintina, a program coordinator at Brown University, and Edwin Jr., a designer and developer at BBC International LLC, the decision to be vaccinated and have their children vaccinated too was not a difficult one.

“Everything that we've read and heard from doctors and scientists seems to support that the vaccine is safe and effective,” Brett said.

Nonetheless, as she acknowledged, other have doubts.

Her message?

“To anyone who is concerned about getting their child vaccinated, I would say to talk to their pediatrician about it,” Brett said.

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Latest RI COVID numbers

On Tuesday, the Rhode Island Department of Health reported no new coronavirus-related deaths and 604 additional cases of COVID-19, along with 11,176 negative tests, for a 5.1% positive rate. There were 114 COVID-positive patients in Rhode Island hospitals, up from 103 reported Monday. Rhode Island has reported an average of 480 new cases a day over the last seven days, up 29% from a week ago and up 69% from two weeks ago. The seven-day case average is the highest it has been since Feb. 6.

With reports from Managing Editor Michael McDermott.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Child vaccinations and COVID boosters keep rising in RI