Seton Catholic Schools kids' vaccine clinics in Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE - Trending in the wrong direction, Milwaukee’s mayor says COVID-19 case numbers have jumped significantly in the city since last week. He and other health experts are urging mitigation efforts as 22 area schools have now begun giving vaccines to the newly eligible population of kids 5-11.
Kids felt comfortable and at ease as COVID-19 vaccines were administered to children at St. Margaret Mary Tuesday, Nov. 9.
Seton Catholic Schools partnered with the Milwaukee Health Department and Children’s Wisconsin to vaccinate area children.
"We tried to bring the resources to the community," said the principal.
This, as Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said the disease burden in the city has increased, placing it back into the extreme transmission category.
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"I am not happy we are going in the other direction," he said. "We do not want to revert the positive trends we have been experiencing over the last month, so it’s another reminder that we are not out of the woods yet. We have to do everything we can to act responsibly for ourselves, our family and other people."
Since the pediatric age group was finally given the green light for Pfizer’s kids' dose of the coronavirus vaccine, the Milwaukee Health Department has immunized about 400 kids – 64 on the first day of Milwaukee Public Schools' clinics. While kids ages 5-11 are the primary focus, anyone eligible needing a dose is welcomed, as Dr. Ben Weston hopes the numbers grow exponentially.
"We only have about 57% of our population vaccinated," said Weston. "That is not enough to control the spread of disease
Health officials continue to reassure people that the shot is safe and effective.
"They are less likely to get sick, less likely to spread it to others, less likely to suffer long-term effects of the infection," said a health official.
The vaccine clinics will continue to be held through Nov. 23. Beginning Nov. 29, the same cycle of 22 schools will repeat to administer second doses.
The city also announced a new vaccine opportunity with the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday, Nov. 13.
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