USA Health plans Saturday pediatric COVID vaccine events
For the convenience of parents and caregivers, USA Health is planning special Saturday pediatric COVID-19 vaccine events for children ages 5 and older at Strada Patient Care Center on Nov. 20 and Dec. 11.
By Casandra Andrews
candrews@health.southalabama.edu
The pediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be available to children ages 5 and up at USA Health Strada Patient Care Center on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. in partnership with Children’s & Women’s Hospital.
Another Saturday vaccine event, also from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., is planned on Dec. 11 at the Strada Patient Care Center, located at 1601 Center St. in Mobile.
“We want to make it as convenient as possible for parents and caregivers to get the pediatric vaccine for their children,” said Sarah Kahalley, B.S.N., M.S.H.A., director of clinical resources for USA Health Physicians Group. “To do that, we are offering the new pediatric vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 and the Pfizer vaccine for those ages 12 and up at the Saturday clinics in coming weeks.”
To self-schedule for a pediatric COVID vaccine appointment at our Saturday event at Strada please go to https://phreesia.me/COVIDOutreach.
Pediatric vaccine available at Expo Hall
USA Health also continues to offer the pediatric vaccine at its drive-through site at Expo Hall off Lawrence Street in downtown Mobile. The downtown site is open extended hours from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. Like the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for those ages 12 and up, the pediatric vaccine will require two doses given at least three weeks apart.
Children and anyone else who receives the first dose of the vaccine this week (Nov. 15-20) will be eligible for the second dose in early December, meaning they could have full immunity before the traditional winter break from school, when many families travel.
To self-schedule a pediatric COVID vaccine appointment on a weekday, please go to usahealthvaccines.com.
“After almost a year with a COVID vaccine for adults, we are relieved to be able to offer this vaccine to children between the ages of 5 and 11,” said Benjamin Estrada, M.D., who leads the pediatric infectious diseases program at USA Health. "Children, even when they get a mild case of the virus, can still be a source of infection for adults and elderly people they come in contact with.”
USA Health continues to provide first, second and third doses of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 for those ages 12 and up at its drive-through location at Expo Hall. Since Dec. 15, 2020, more than 100,000 doses of the vaccine have been provided by the region’s only academic health system to those who qualify.
