By Savannah Tryens-Fernandes
Ramey Payne feels like she can conquer the world now that she’s received the COVID vaccine.
“It makes me feel a lot safer than I was before be- cause I didn’t have it,” said the8-year-old after receiving her first Pfizer shot at the University of Alabama at Birmingham drive-thru vaccine clinic. “I’ve been waiting to get it for a really long time.”
Ramey was one of 58 kids to get their shot at the UAB-run site Thursday, the opening day for the clinic that serves 5- to 11-year-olds at both the Hoover Met and the UAB InjectionClinic.
Statewide, over 400 5- to 11-year-olds have received the vaccine since the age group became eligible Nov. 3, according to data from the Alabama Department of Public Health. Nationwide, that number is approaching 1 million.
In Alabama, children must have parental consent to get COVID shots, according to a new law passed by the legislature this fall. While the vaccines only have emergency authorization and are still working through full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, medical experts are confident that the vaccine is safe, effective and helps prevent the worst outcomes of COVID for children and adults.
As of Friday, 70,000 doses had been ordered by providers, according to ADPH, but the agency expects just about 68,700 to be available in physician offices, community pharmacies, and county health departments by the close of day.
But many pediatricians in the state had to wait until Monday, almost a full week after approval, to receive their doses from ADPH.
“I had several patients who went to the pharmacy over the weekend because they wanted it that badly,” said Dr. Katrina Skinner, a pediatrician in Fairhope and president of the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.”We were told we were going to be prioritized, but then obviously we weren’t and it wasn’t here as quickly as we thought it could be.”
Skinner preordered her vaccine supply through ADPH two weeks prior to the final approval on Nov. 3. ADPH polled pediatric offices and hospitals for preorders which were submitted as expediently as orders were received,” said Dr. Karen Landers, assistant state health officer. “While a few states may have had vaccine before Alabama, providers in our state were not far behind receiving product.”
The state had 28,000 doses available to providers as of Thursday, which both ADPH and Dr. Skinner say is enough for now.
But for many parents, the vaccine has arrived just in time to protect their children before the holidays and expiring mask mandates in schools.