As COVID-19 shots begin for younger kids, it's a dose of relief for Oklahoma families

YUKON — Take it from Dacey Strong: getting the COVID-19 vaccine is no big deal.

Dacey, 7, with her pink sloth stuffed animal and her mom by her side, got her first dose Saturday evening at the Walgreens store in Yukon.

“It barely even hurt!” she exclaimed after the pinch.

Four of the Strong siblings — Dacey, along with Delilah, 11; Spencer, 8; and Joshua, 5 — each got their first dose Saturday, a long-awaited moment for their parents.

They piled into a small room, where a pharmacy technician administered their shots in reverse age order. First up was Delilah, who then helped distract her younger siblings from the needle.

“It was better than I expected,” said Spencer, in between licks of his lollipop reward. “It feels awesome.”

The Strongs were among some of the first newly eligible kids in Oklahoma to get their COVID-19 vaccinations this weekend.

After federal officials approved Pfizer’s vaccine for emergency use in kids ages 5 to 11 Tuesday evening, kids in that age group were eligible to start getting shots immediately, but not all providers have received shipments of pediatric vaccines.

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Vaccinations are expected to ramp up this week as more supplies arrive in Oklahoma. While the pediatric vaccines are the same formula as the ones for adults and adolescents, they’re given at a smaller dose and are in different vials to accommodate the smaller dose for younger children.

“We’ve been waiting for this one, and we’re so excited that it’s finally available for (younger children), because we just want to do all that we can to protect our kids,” said Lydia Strong, the kids’ mother.

Strong and her family have experienced firsthand how devastating COVID-19 can be. Lydia’s father-in-law died in January after contracting the virus and having to be put on a ventilator.

“I know he was really looking forward to being able to get the vaccine himself,” Strong said. “Once he passed away, it was like, ‘OK, we’re going to do this in his honor and hopefully not have to watch anybody else go through this.’”

Strong’s two older children, who are 14 and 16, are already fully vaccinated, and Strong and her husband received their booster doses last week. By the time Christmas rolls around, the whole family will be protected.

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Talking to kids about the vaccine

The COVID-19 vaccine is now recommended for children ages 5 to 11. Anyone over 12 is also eligible and encouraged to get vaccinated, too.

It's wise for parents to talk with their children about the vaccine and hear out any concerns they might have, said Laura Hubbs-Tait, a professor and parenting specialist with Oklahoma State University Extension.

“Family meetings can help children bring concerns to the table and allow a family to process vaccine information and other important family topics together," Hubbs-Tait said in a statement.

Heather Levy, of Oklahoma City, said she talked with her 10-year-old son, Edwin, about the vaccine before scheduling his appointment.

“It is his body, so we wanted to make sure that he was comfortable with it,” she said.

He had some questions about how he might feel afterwards, after seeing his older sister feel fatigued for a day after her second dose. Though he’s not big on shots, he’s still looking forward to getting vaccinated, his mom said.

“He also knows that he could get some ice cream or hot cocoa afterwards,” Levy said.

For her family, getting Edwin vaccinated wasn’t a tough decision. Levy has an autoimmune disease that means even full vaccination and a booster dose likely doesn’t offer her the same protection as most people, so having her son vaccinated means an extra layer of protection, she said.

“I didn’t realize how much weight it had on us, until we finally got the notice that it was getting approved,” Levy said. “It’s just a feeling of being able to breathe a little easier.”

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For parents who might have questions about the vaccine for their children, Levy suggested talking to their doctor about it.

“For me, the person anybody should go to is your primary care doctor or pediatrician and ask them,” she said. “Our kids’ pediatrician was like, ‘yes,’ and she’s far more knowledgeable than I am about this.”

'Part of the club'

For Kristin Richter, getting her 11-year-old, Kailyn, vaccinated was a “no brainer.”

Their family took great care to avoid COVID-19, especially since Kailyn has long struggled with asthma, her mother said.

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“Of course, my level of concern for her was through the roof — she was the one person that I really wanted to protect,” she said.

Despite their efforts, Kailyn got COVID-19 shortly after school began this year. Luckily, her only symptom was the loss of her sense of smell.

With Kailyn on her way to being fully vaccinated against the disease, Richter said her family will have peace of mind that even if a new variant crops up, “our bodies will be able to handle whatever comes our way.”

“It’s been such a long, difficult road,” she said. “We’ve seen and heard so many sad stories, and we don’t want to be a part of those sad stories.”

For her part, Kailyn was ready for her shot, especially after seeing her older brother handle his COVID-19 vaccinations with ease, Richter said. She was scheduled for her first dose Sunday at a Walgreens pharmacy.

“She keeps saying, ‘I get to be part of the club!’” Richter said. “I feel like she wants to be part of that greater good.”

Where to make an appointment for kids

Expect to see more vaccination appointments becoming available this week for children ages 5 to 11, as providers receive shipments of pediatric vaccine vials.

Retail pharmacies were among the first providers to begin offering vaccines to children in the latest age group. Appointments can be found online at CVS and Walgreens.

The Cherokee Nation was also offering pediatric vaccines this week at its health centers.

To search for a vaccine provider near you, visit vaccines.gov. On the website, you can enter your zip code and select the pediatric Pfizer vaccine to find providers that have it in stock in your area.

Vaccine appointments can also be found on the Oklahoma state vaccine scheduling portal at vaccinate.oklahoma.gov, but as of Sunday, the state’s portal wasn’t allowing appointment scheduling for anyone under 12.

The Oklahoma City-County Health Department has also not yet begun offering vaccination opportunities to kids under 12, but when appointments are available, they’ll be on vaxokc.com.

The Tulsa Health Department is awaiting shipments of pediatric vaccines, but when they arrive, vaccination opportunities will be listed on the department's website and social media pages.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Kids' COVID vaccinations offer dose of relief for some Oklahoma families