Vaccination clinics for children ages 5-11 years old will take place this week on Friday, November 12 from 11:00am–7:00pm and Saturday, November 13 from 10:00am–6:00pm at the Ithaca Mall Vaccination Site. The vaccine is free of charge.
TCHD is working closely with local pediatric offices and school districts to hold large vaccination clinics throughout the month of November at the Shops at Ithaca Mall vaccination site (40 Catherwood Road, Ithaca).
Frank Kruppa, Public Health Director stated, “The clinics held last weekend were a great success. We were able to vaccinate 1,200 children in this age group and plan to vaccinate another 1,600 this weekend. We are intentionally sending registration links and information through the school districts and community partners in an effort to prioritize vaccination of Tompkins County residents. We know that our high level of vaccination in Tompkins County is protective and has contributed to the low rate of hospitalizations.”
Kruppa continued, “Having this large-scale vaccination site allows us to vaccinate the most children as quickly as possible to get us closer to ending this pandemic and resuming normal activities. I encourage families to watch for notifications from their schools or pediatric healthcare providers and to reach out to 211 if they need assistance registering for an appointment. There are alternate locations to receive vaccination – at local pharmacies and medical offices. Please call ahead to plan a time to get vaccinated.”
Appointments are required and registration links for Friday, November 12 and Saturday, November 13 will be sent out this afternoon by local school districts, TST BOCES, and other community partners directly to families with children 5-11 years old. Public links will also be posted on the TCHD website if appointments are still available following the distribution of links through email. Please sign up for TCHD email updates if you would like to be notified about available appointments.
Parents or guardians/caregivers will need to sign a consent form for those under the age of 18. At the clinic, you can provide health insurance information if you have it, but health insurance is not required, and the vaccine is free. Families should expect to wait 15 minutes for observation following the injection.
Additional information for youth vaccination:
- Individuals without computer and/or internet access may also call 2-1-1 (877-211-8667) during regular business hours 8:30am-5:00pm and a representative can register them over the phone.
- Children can receive the COVID-19 vaccine at alternate locations including local pharmacies and medical offices.
- Free public transportation is available on TCAT buses to and from any vaccination clinic in Tompkins County. To ride free of charge, riders are asked to download, save and/or print notice of appointment confirmation. Riders should then show the verification notice, either in print form or via mobile device, to the TCAT driver when boarding. See TCAT routes, timetables and maps here: https://tcatbus.com/bus-schedules.
- For families of children who have special needs, other medical conditions, or may be uncomfortable at the mass vaccination site, please reach out directly to the child’s healthcare practitioner for a plan to get the child vaccinated.
- It is recommended that the second dose of Pfizer be given three to four weeks after the first dose. Second dose clinics will be scheduled by TCHD at the first dose clinic, and reminders will be sent through the New York State vaccination registration system.
- A recording of the COVID-19 Town Hall from Monday, November 8 is available on You Tube. Guests included Dr. Jeffrey Snedeker, physician at Northeast Pediatrics, and Rachel Buckwalter, Senior Community Health Nurse at TCHD.
- Additional information about the Pfizer vaccine for ages 5-11 can be found on the TCHD website’s vaccine FAQ page.
Booster doses continue to be available for eligible populations. Please contact your primary care provider or local pharmacy.
The Tompkins County Health Department is your partner for a healthy community. Find us online at TompkinsCountyNY.gov/health, and follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/TompkinsPublicHealth and on Twitter at @TompkinsHealth. Sign up to receive COVID-19 updates or other county announcements via email or text.
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