The Audrain County Health Department (ACHD) will begin administering pediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations through two upcoming clinics at the health department in Mexico. The clinics will focus on the pediatric ages of five through 11 years of age. The first of the clinics will be on Thursday, November 18, a second on Friday, November 19^th. This is a two-dose series vaccine so those receiving the shot would have to return on Thursday, December 9^th or Friday, December 10^th for their second dose.

Interested parents and legal guardians can go to the department’s website (myachd.as.me) to book an appointment or, call 573-581-1332.

 “We are happy to finally be offering these all-important vaccines to this age group,” ACHD Administrator Craig Brace said. “The five-to-11 year age group has seen a steady increase in infections and hospitalizations across the country in the last few months. This vaccine will help combat that increase.”

Currently, the department has 120 vaccines available to Audrain County children in this age group, but more are readily available across the mid-Missouri area.

“We have a pipeline of providers that have vaccine that we can get transferred to us in short time,” Brace said. “If we see the demand increasing for the vaccine, we will certainly order more to be shipped to us here.”

This vaccine, just like the adult doses of Pfizer vaccine, does have to be stored at ultra-cold freezing temperatures and Brace says he’s thankful for an agreement ACHD has in place with the Audrain Community Hospital to store the vaccine.

“I’m grateful we have that working relationship with Amy O’Brien and Noble Health Care at Audrain Community Hospital,” he said. “Without this agreement, it would be difficult for us to offer this pediatric vaccine as we don’t have the capability to store it at the ultra-cold temperatures needed to keep the vaccine viable.”

More information on the pediatric COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine can be found at www.myachd.org or www.cdc.gov.