On the first day for everyone five and up to get vaccinated, hundreds of showed up to local health clinics to get shots in children’s arms.
Kindergartener Maya Vonsover, who attends Trailside Elementary, is five years old and was one of the first her age to get vaccinated at Summit Pediatrics.
“Now, it’s just a peace of mind,” Maya’s mother Zoe Vonsover said. “It’s a step back to normalcy, and Maya and most of the kids that I know in that age group have been so incredibly resilient in making sacrifices, wearing their masks, holding off on playdates and things, and they really just deserve this return to normalcy.”
Maya had COVID-19 last March. Her quarantine ended up lasting over 20 days, and the family’s fears that she or another family member could become sick lasted even longer.
Zoe Vonsover said she never had doubts about getting Maya vaccinated and made an appointment as soon as she was able. She’s looking forward to letting Maya attend school without wearing a mask after her second shot.
“She was able to go into the appointment with her cousin, which really helped because they could hold each other’s hands,” Zoe Vonsover said. “They felt really important because we were telling them that they could be the first kids in their class to get the shot, and it made them feel really special and excited. So, for somebody who is terrified of needles, she was incredibly brave. They did amazing, and the office was really encouraging and helped the girls stay excited.”
The doctor’s office sent the girls off with fidget-spinners, and they went for doughnuts after the appointment.
Perhaps the very first of her classmates to get vaccinated, Trailside first-grader Remi Hawkins went to a Wal Mart in Salt Lake City on Friday. Her mother Sarah said Remi’s new protection from the virus makes life easier for the whole family, and she’ll have full peace of mind when her three-year-old gets his.
“We wish that he could get vaccinated, we look forward to it, but this is actually some relief that one of them is getting vaccinated. I think it just takes the pressure of her being sick and at home and out of school for days on end. We’re excited for that, we’re excited for that, we’re excited to get out and kind of venture again and do things we haven’t done for a couple years,” Sarah Hawkins said.
Remi experienced no side effects from the shot over the weekend.
According to Pfizer, the CDC-approved shots for children five through 11 contain about one-third of the amount administered to adults and use smaller needles.
Appointments are available at Summit and Wasatch county health departments. To schedule, call their offices, visit their websites or talk to a doctor’s office.
To schedule with the Wasatch County Health Department, call 435-243-5320 or visit summitcountyhealth.org/vaccine.
To schedule with the Wasatch County Health Department, call 435-657-3307 or visit coronavirus.wasatch.utah.gov.
Intermountain clinics are taking appointments at intermountain.com/COVIDvaccine. Pharmacies throughout the counties are also taking appointments by phone and online.