Kids' COVID-19 vaccination clinics underway in the Sault (5 photos)

The Rexall pharmacy on Trunk Road held its first COVID-19 vaccination clinic for the 5-11 age group Friday after receiving its first 100 doses of the pediatric Pfizer vaccine that morning. 

Pharmacy manager Nicole Shoemaker was busy administering vaccine doses while Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus interacted with children awaiting their vaccinations. 

“I’m pleasantly surprised at how quickly our appointments booked up just for today, which was last minute because we weren’t sure that we were getting the doses this morning 100 per cent - but just getting it this morning, our clinic was booked up within minutes fully for tonight, and Saturday and Sunday,” said Shoemaker, after vaccinating an 11-year-old who was eager to get back to playing hockey. “The response has been really awesome.”

Shoemaker says there’s roughly 300-400 children currently on the pharmacy’s waitlist, which can create some challenges for staff in terms of incorporating the vaccination clinics into an already busy workflow. 

“We book clinics every day based on how many pharmacists we have, and we’re trying to bring in extra help when we can.

“We’re booking kids in every 10 minutes.”

The initial 100 doses of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine allotted for the pharmacy are already spoken for, and Shoemaker expects to have administered all those doses by Sunday. 

“I was in contact with Algoma Public Health, and they’re actually going to send me another hundred early next week,” she said. 

Shoemaker says the first wave of kids to come in and get vaccinated have been more eager than anything else. 

“So far, so good. I think they’re all really excited,” she told SooToday. “I did my own three kids this morning before, so as soon as I got the doses and got all of the logistics worked out and paperwork done, I brought my own three in before school - two nine-year-olds and an eight-year-old, and I did them and they were great. They read their books while they did it, and they held each other’s hands - and they were ready for it, because I had been talking to them about the importance of getting their vaccine for months now. So they were ready.”

Appointments for the 5-11 vaccinations clinics at the Trunk Road Rexall can be booked online through the Rexall website.