Few Fall River kids have gotten their COVID vaccine. Here's how to get it, and why
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FALL RIVER — A COVID vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11 has been available for nearly a month, but only 3.71% of Fall River kids that age have received it — far below the state rate, and the lowest percentage in all of Bristol County.
Figures released Nov. 18 from the state Department of Public Health show that out of Fall River's population of 6,866 kids ages 5 to 11, only 255 have received a COVID vaccine. That's about 1 out of every 27 kids.
Statewide, more than 88,000 kids have received a dose of COVID vaccine, for a 17.2% state average.
Fall River's 3.71% statistic is the seventh-worst statewide among communities with a population of 10,000 or more. The worst is Lawrence, which has only 177 kids vaccinated out of nearly 9,000 — or 1.9% of that city’s age 5-11 population.
Get the vax, get prizes: Students in Fall River can win TVs, iPads and more just for getting their COVID-19 vaccine
Children ages 5 to 11 became eligible to get a COVID shot on Nov. 2, and can only receive the two-dose Pfizer vaccine. That vaccine requires a first dose followed by another three weeks later. Kids who received COVID shots that first week in November are only now becoming eligible for their second dose, making them fully vaccinated.
“The more youth and families we have vaccinated, the safer our community will be,” stated Tess Curran, director of Health and Human Services for Fall River. “Individuals who are vaccinated this week and receive their second dose on time would be better protected over the winter break.”
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Fall River’s vaccination rate lags behind the state average in every age group, but particularly in younger people, from 5 to 29.
About 63% of the city has received at least one dose of a vaccine, and 56% of the population is fully vaccinated. Overall, the rate of new vaccinations across Greater Fall River has slowed significantly since the summer. Herd immunity to COVID may be more likely once more than about 80% of the population is fully vaccinated.
Where to get the vaccine
Fall River has several vaccine clinics coming up this weekend:
Saturday, Nov. 27, from 9 a.m. to noon, at Fonseca Elementary School, 160 Wall St.
Sunday, Nov. 28, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Dollar Tree, 529 Quarry Street.
Sunday, Nov. 28, from noon to 4 p.m., at Spencer Borden Elementary School, 1400 President Ave.
All these clinics are open to the public ages 5 and older, with child-size doses, first doses, second doses and six-month boosters available. Walk-ins are welcome, but you can also register for an appointment at frvax.com.
The vaccine is free, and health insurance is not needed.
Find a vaccine near you: Get a list of clinics in Fall River, find a walk-in or appointment, and register
In fact, younger people can even make some money for being vaccinated – the Fall River Youth Vaccine Giveaway has already awarded prizes like TVs, iPads and video game consoles to vaccinated people ages 5 to 24, with more prizes to come.
On Friday, Nov. 26, the giveaway will be drawing a lucky winner for tickets to Kiss 108-FM's Jingle Ball at the TD Garden, with performers like the Black Eyed Peas, Jonas Brothers, Saweetie, and more.
Later in December, the giveaway will be picking 12 people to win $250 gift cards to Amazon, Target or Walmart.
The giveaway is free to enter — the entry form is at frvax.com.
Why kids need to get vaccinated against COVID
In Massachusetts, a public school mask mandate is in place, first instituted in September and extended until at least late January — students have to wear masks in schools until 80% of the building’s population is vaccinated.
Children in this age group can and do contract COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2 million kids ages 5 to 11 have come down with the highly contagious and infectious coronavirus during the pandemic so far, with more than 8,300 COVID-19 related hospitalizations and nearly 100 deaths.
Kids who contract COVID can also come down with short- or long-term effects, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or MIS-C, a condition that causes severe inflammation in different body parts including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes or gastrointestinal organs. The CDC reports more than 2,300 cases of MIS-C in children since the start of the pandemic.
Nationwide, more than 3.6 million children ages 5 to 11 have received a dose of Pfizer COVID vaccine.
The COVID vaccine is safe and effective at preventing people from getting and spreading COVID, or developing severe symptoms of COVID if they contract a breakthrough case. According to the CDC, clinical trials were performed on thousands of children before the vaccine received emergency authorization for use, with no serious safety concerns identified. Side effects to getting the shot are often mild, including fatigue, muscle soreness, headache and chills or fever, and they are temporary, lasting a few days. More severe side effects are exceedingly rare.
Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Fall River kids far behind state average in COVID vaccination
