'Parents Are Very Eager': COVID Vaccinations Appointments Fill Quickly For Kids Ages 5-11 At Needham Temple
NEEDHAM (CBS) -- Temple Beth Shalom in Needham became a pop-up vaccine site on Saturday for children whose parents signed them up for the Pfizer COVID-19 shot.
Kids ages 5-11 are now eligible to receive the vaccine. Some were excited while others were timid.
"They're were a couple of tears this morning and a little trepidation and fear," said one parent about their child.
Rachel Stuart brought her 11-year-olds Lucy and Sam.
"We've been waiting forever. They are 11, so they were just on the cusp of not being able to get their vaccine for so long. So we've been waiting a really long, and we are so happy to be here," Stuart said.
Organizers at Temple Beth Shalom made the experience as fun as possible.
"We got the ice cream truck and the selfie stand and lollipops, so it makes a little bit easier for kids to get vaccinated," PelMeds Community Pharmacy President, Bhuren Patel said.
This weekend, the clinic will administer about 200 shots of Pfizer vaccine. As soon as parents were invited to sign up, spots quickly filled up.
"When we put up the online portal for registration, the spots were taken in about 15 minutes. Parents are very eager. They were excited. But we only had a limited amount," Patel said.
Jackie Cohen was thrilled for her son to get the shot.
"We've been waiting for this day for a really long time, and we are really proud of kids and how brave they were," Cohen said.
More vaccines will be available next week through the Needham Public Schools system. Also on Saturday, Walgreens began to administer the COVID-19 vaccine for children at select locations.