See how many elementary-age kids in Onondaga County have gotten Covid-19 shots

Covid-19 vaccination clinic for kids 5-11 in Onondaga County

Donnie Lough, 6, of Syracuse, receives his first Covid-19 vaccine Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, at Institute of Technology in Syracuse. N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Almost one in every four elementary-school age children in Onondaga County have received Covid-19 vaccines since they were approved in early November, County Executive Ryan McMahon said this week.

McMahon said nearly 8,100 children ages 5 to 11 have gotten at least their first dose of Pfizer. There are an estimated 35,000 children in that age group in the county, so about 23% have started their two-dose vaccine series.

That’s higher than the rate across New York state, which is 16.7%, according to the state Department of Health.

“We’re making progress there,” McMahon said. “We want to thank our pediatrician offices, our own health department, all of our partners in the pharmacies as well who have helped us go through this process.”

The county has conducted clinics specifically for younger children at the Civic Center and at schools. Pharmacies are also giving the shots; so is the state health department mass vaccination site at the state fairgrounds.

Like the adult vaccine, children need two shots spaced three weeks apart. The dose is just one third of an adult dose. The shots for younger children were approved by the federal government on Nov. 2, and the first clinic in Onondaga County was four days later.

Experts say that while younger children don’t get as sick from Covid-19 as adults, vaccinating children will help control the pandemic. People under the age of 20 have accounted for 3% of hospitalizations in the county but nearly 23% of confirmed Covid-19 cases, according to county data.

“That’s a huge reservoir of the disease at that age and they can go out and infect anybody they come in contact with,” said Dr. Stephen Blatt, a pediatrician with the Upstate Pediatrics and Adolescent Center, in Syracuse.

Nationwide, only about 30% of parents say they’ll get their 5- to 11-year-olds vaccinated right away. Another 30% say they won’t get their kids vaccinated at all, and the middle group says they’ll wait and see. McMahon said last month a survey of nearly 10,000 Onondaga County parents indicated that 53% of them planned to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible.

The state reports that 61% of Onondaga County children ages 12 to 17 are fully vaccinated. Pfizer’s vaccine was approved for ages 16 and up in December 2020, and 12- to 15-year-olds were included in May.

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