Covid vaccine clinic draws hundreds of kids

Christmas carols and health-care workers clad in elf costumes greeted over 200 children and their parents at a Covid-19 vaccination clinic Wednesday at the Flathead County Fairgrounds.

The Flathead City-County Health Department organized the festive clinic for children ages 5 to 11, noting that interest had increased in the kid-sized dose since it was approved by the CDC in early November.

Flathead County Health Officer Joe Russell, dressed as the head elf, was on site at the Expo Building along with dozens of volunteers and staff who helped process paperwork and administer the shots. Children were given goodie bags after getting a quick poke, followed by a short observation period to monitor for immediate side effects.

Russell said about 200 appointments were made for the clinic, and that no one who wanted the shot would be turned away.

Kalispell resident Aggie Reed took her grandchildren, ages 6 and 9, to the clinic Wednesday for their second dose. She said they got their first dose the first day it was made available.

Reed explained that she decided to have her grandchildren vaccinated after having a family member get sick with Covid. Everyone in her household has now had the shot.

“I felt a responsibility to keep them safe, and the rest of humanity safe,” Reed said.

“I don’t want to see the schools shut down or the economy shut down again — I just want to keep everyone safe.”

A STATE report from Nov. 12 showed that just 1% of Flathead County kids had received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shot in the first week it was available to that age demographic. That number has since ticked up to 4%, as of Nov. 26.

Statewide, 10% of Montana kids in the youngest demographic have received the shot. Missoula County has the highest vaccination rate among children at 26%, followed by Glacier County at 24%.

Russell said he isn’t sure if Flathead County will reach those levels, with the adult vaccination rate lagging behind the state average as well.

“We may not see a high uptake,” he said of the kids shot. “If we get to 20% over the next month or two, that’s probably realistic.”

The county is planning to hold another pediatric clinic next Wednesday, but it will depend on demand as to whether they continue to hold the public events.

“I think there’s a lot of people who wanted it really fast and now we’re going to get back into that trickle mode,” Russell said, noting that about 70 children were vaccinated at a Logan Health clinic recently.

A smattering of protesters were at the fairgrounds entrance along Meridian Avenue and inside the Expo Building parking area on Wednesday afternoon. A small police presence was also on site. All of the protesters declined to comment for this report.

THE CENTERS for Disease Control and Prevention is strongly encouraging people to get vaccinated and get their booster shots after the new omicron variant emerged in the U.S. on Wednesday. While much remains unknown about the variant, the CDC said the FDA-approved vaccines are expected to be effective against severe illness, hospitalizations and deaths.

Covid vaccine appointments continue to be available for individuals aged 12 and older on Tuesdays at the fairgrounds. To schedule an appointment, visit www.flatheadhealth.org/make-an-appointment/.

Covid vaccines are also available at various other locations around Flathead County. People can visit vaccinefinder.org and type in their ZIP code to find the nearest locations to receive a vaccine.