St. Johns Well Child And Family Center Kickoffs 'Vaccine Roadshow' In Push To Vaccinate Kids Ages 5 To 11-Years-Old
COMPTON (CBSLA) - A healthcare center teamed up with a local school district in a big push to get COVID-19 vaccinations to children ages 5-10 in communities of color, and while some parents are excited about getting their kids vaccinated, others remain skeptical.
"Nervous," is how 9-year-old Jennifer Marquez described herself before she and her cousin got vaccinated at a free event put on by Compton Unified School District.
Angella Marquez, Jennifer's sister already received the COVID-19 vaccine, but came to support her sister.
"It's important to me to be safe from other people who have the virus and me from not getting it," she said.
The district teamed up with St. Johns Well Child and Family Center as part of the clinic's "Vaccine Roadshow," which offers the shot to kids ages 5-11, now that they're able to get them.
Some parents, though, are still worried about vaccinating their children and asked questions at a town hall about how safe and effective the vaccine is for kids.
Superintendent Darin Brawley said while he's thankful there's been no major outbreak within the district, he's seen how the virus has had a negative impact on student learning.
"We're typically looking at 4-6 individuals that become close contacts that we have to quarantine as a result of one child coming down with the virus that is in close proximity to other kids," the superintendent said.
School officials said the forum was especially important for Compton Unified, as communities of color often lack information and access to resources.
One parent that spoke with CBSLA said she's not ready to get her children vaccinated and wants to see more research on the safety.
"For them to be telling us to go ahead and give these vaccines to 5-years-old without any history of what it does to your body, I just think it's wrong as a parent. I want to protect my son and my daughter," said Maria Pasaye.
St. Johns "Vaccine Roadshow" kicked off today and will travel to nine other communities for town halls and provide the vaccine to those who want their children to have it.