Here’s where your kids under age 5 can get COVID-19 vaccines in Kansas City
Children’s Mercy Hospital announced Tuesday morning the locations of the first two COVID vaccine clinics for children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years old.
The first vaccine clinic will be 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas, 5808 W. 110th Street in Overland Park.
The second one will be 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 9 at Children’s Mercy Adele Hall Campus, 2401 Gillham Road in Kansas City.
Appointments are required and walk-ins will not be accepted.
To schedule an appointment, go to MyChildrensMercy patient portal or call the COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Hotline at 816-302-6300.
“I think this is really great,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infectious disease prevention and control at the University of Kansas Health System, in a news briefing on Friday. “A large percentage of children in the United States, maybe up to 75%, have actually had COVID or had exposure, so this is one more thing to help protect your child.”
“It is incredibly important to get (your child) those two or three vaccine doses to help boost and maintain that immune response,” he added.
Pfizer’s vaccine for young children will consist of three shots, while Moderna’s course only requires two. However, the FDA has also approved a third dose of the Moderna shot for children with immune conditions.
According to the CDC, all five counties that make up the Kansas City metro area are currently experiencing “high” transmission levels, meaning that the likelihood of catching COVID-19 in public is elevated.
While reported case numbers have fluctuated in recent weeks, the actual number of active COVID-19 infections is likely anywhere from two to five times higher than the data shows. That’s because the rise in home testing has resulted in lower rates of data reporting to state and federal officials.
Do you have questions about getting your young children their COVID-19 vaccine? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published June 21, 2022 at 7:40 AM.
.jpg)