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Washtenaw County children age 12 and older can start getting vaccinated Friday, May 14.
Parents can sign their kids up at one of the many appointments available here, or plan to attend a clinic offering a limited number of walk-up vaccines.
The Washtenaw County Health Department has vaccine clinics scheduled on its website through May 27. Children 12-15 are eligible to receive the Pfizer two-dose vaccine at each of the upcoming county hosted clinics.
Multiple local providers, including pharmacies also have COVID-19 vaccine appointments available. The health department regularly updates a list of local vaccine sites on its website.
In addition to the several school and community site clinics, the health department’s ongoing clinic at Eastern Michigan University’s Convocation Center, 799 N. Hewitt Road in Ypsilanti, is also providing doses of Pfizer to kids age 12-15.
Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines have not yet been authorized for use with individuals younger than 18.
A parent or guardian must be present for vaccination of minors. The health department does ask that a guardian or parent bring identification, but it is not required.
The health department also recommends people eat about an hour before their appointment and stay hydrated with water or non-caffeinated beverages.
For months, health officials have said that vaccinating kids is a major piece in the effort to resume in-person gatherings without needing to take further precautions.
The authorization for use by 12 to 15 year-olds is a testament to the vaccines efficacy, said Susan Ringler-Cerniglia, Washtenaw County Health Department spokeswoman. Getting more people vaccinated is what will get things back toward normalcy, she said.
“It’s not just a theory that we’re hoping that it works, we’re seeing that it works,” she said. “It’s a virus, it’s going to find people that are vulnerable because it’s so contagious. It’s really unlikely to impact people who are vaccinated.”
While the state of Michigan’s mask mandate remains in place, vaccinated people have been given guidance they do not need to wear masks while outdoors.
“Those folks fully vaccinated can really resume normal activities and they won’t necessarily need to wear a mask in every indoor and outdoor setting,” she said.
On Thursday, May 13, the Centers for Disease Control recommend people who are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus should be allowed to be mask-free in most indoor settings
CDC to announce vaccinated people should be able to gather indoors without masks, in most cases
Free transportation is available to help people get to vaccination sites. Door-to-door transportation to COVID-19 vaccine clinics is also available to every person of any age in Washtenaw County through the AARP Ride@50+ program.
The free rides were made possible through a grant from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, officials said.
Ann Arbor’s public transportation system, TheRide, is also offering a free shuttle service to the Convocation Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
Anyone needing help signing up for an appointment, or wanting more information regarding the vaccine, can reach the health department at 734-544-6700.