Where Can You Get Your Kids Vaccinated For COVID In The Portland Area?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday officially approved the Pfizer COVID vaccine for use in children ages 5 to 11 on Tuesday, after approval from the Food and Drug Administration last week. Now begins the mad race to get those shots in the arms. So when and, just as importantly, where can your children get vaccinated?

If your student attends one of the eight Portland public elementary or kindergartens that will host an immunization clinic, students and family members may be immunized on site. In partnership with Kaiser Permanente and Medical Teams International, clinics will be held in eight schools chosen specifically for their title as Title 1 schools and because they serve communities with “some of the highest barriers to equitable outcomes,” says PPS spokesperson Courtney Westling. The eight schools with planned clinics are Boise-Eliot / Humboldt Elementary (620 N Fremont St), École César Chávez (5103 N Willis Blvd), École Faubion (2930 NE Dekum St), Lent Elementary (5105 SE 97^e Ave), Rigler Elementary (5401 NE Prescott St), Rosa Parks Elementary (8960 N Woolsey Ave), Scott Elementary (6700 NE Prescott St) and Sitton Elementary (9930 N Smith St). Find more information and updates on pps.net, or contact your school.

PPS clinics will take place after layoff and run throughout the evening. Students must be accompanied by a tutor to be vaccinated. While these initial clinics target specific school communities, PPS plans to expand access in the future.

Besides schools, the Biden administration specifically cited pediatrician offices as the primary suggested location for this age group to get vaccines, alongside pharmacies, children’s hospitals and community centers. In southeast Portland, the Sellwood Medical Clinic will offer a drive-thru vaccination option in Oaks Park, with dates and times to be announced on their website.

Supply shouldn’t be an issue, with the press release from the president of October 20 stating, “The administration has purchased enough vaccine to support immunizations for the nation’s 28 million children aged 5 to 11,” including Oregon’s 330,000 children in this age group.

Endowment, however, can be. “Many offices, including ours, are suffering from an extreme staff shortage,” says Dr. Resa Bradeen, Chief Medical Officer of Metropolitan Pediatrics. “In addition, this vaccine for 5-11 year olds is a new dosage and a new process. This meant that we did not have the vaccine on hand and that we had to train our staff to [this] new process.

Bradeen says the community of pediatricians, public health, educators, health plans and OCCs “are all working together to ensure that the vaccine is available to all who want it, especially our most marginalized communities and more disadvantaged ”.

The approved doses for 5 to 11 year olds are 10 micrograms of vaccine, which is one third of the dose for those over 12 years old, with doses given three weeks apart.

Bradeen shares his own enthusiasm for this new wave of vaccination and is ready to take shots. “Our children want to be able to resume their normal activities like we do.”

Meanwhile, the Portland Public School Board considered a mandate for students aged 12 and over that would not apply to this new age group, with a vote expected on November 16. The board moved its November meetings online due to public non-compliance. members to follow mask mandates and verbal attacks on board members and students at its Oct. 26 meeting, which started in person and moved to a virtual format midway through.