SAN ANTONIO — Metro Health is now administering doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for children ages 5 to 11-years-olds at its Alamodome drive-up vaccination site.
“The gatherings have been very small, very limited,” Michael Herrera said, describing his holiday celebrations in 2020.
“We’ve just been hanging out with immediate family that has been vaccinated,” he said.
The Herrera family was looking forward to larger holiday celebrations as they waited in line Wednesday to get 6-year-old Addison and 9-year-old Maya vaccinated.
“Thanksgiving, we’re just going to keep it to the same six people that we’ve been hanging out with," said Herrera. "But for Christmas, we’re really gearing up to have the huge Christmas get-together because everybody’s going to be vaccinated.”
They are one of the many families to roll up today to the drive-through COVID-19 vaccine clinic in the Alamodome’s parking lot B. Today was the first day they started offering shots to 5 through 11-year-olds.
“We hope to have a good piece of administering vaccines to this age group before the holidays begin,” said San Antonio Metropolitan Health Assistant Director Dr. Anita Kurian.
Dr. Kurian said that during the peak of vaccine operations for adults, the Alamodome site has administered as many as 3,500 doses per day.
“We are willing, ready and plan to do the same here with the kids as well,” she said.
Susan Herrera said she is also going to feel safer sending her kids back to school beyond the holidays
“It’s been a lot of back and forth with the school and having to get extra COVID testing done before they can return to school,” she said. “So, it’ll just be nice to have this chapter closed and have them vaccinated.”
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