TULSA, Okla — Tulsa Public Schools and St. Francis Hospital are making strides to protect students from COVID-19.
Hundreds of young Tulsa Public Schools students received their COVID-19 vaccine Saturday afternoon.
This is part of a partnership between Saint Francis and the Tulsa Public School district to promote vaccination efforts.
Saturday's clinic focused on vaccinating students who were previously not eligible for the vaccine.
The vaccine clinic took place Saturday morning and afternoon at the Education Service Center on 31st and New Haven.
“I’m going to tell them that it’s just a little hard pinch and then it’s done,” 7-year-old vaccine recipient Buffy Villareal said.
Buffy's mom, Liza Villarreal, is not only a TPS parent but also a teacher who works directly with students in the classroom.
“I just remembered being terrified when all of this was first starting and you know, being so scared to even send her to school and so to know that now even if she gets a strain or something, that she’ll be protected, I don’t, I don’t have to have those nightmares anymore that what if, so I’m relieved, I feel very relieved," Villarreal said.
Dr. Mark Frost, Chief Medical Officer with St. Francis Health Systems said they had enough vaccines for one 1,000 individuals and they vaccinated just over 500.
While vaccines were available to students and adults of all ages, the clinic focused on the 5-year-old to 11-year-old age group.
The CDC and FDA recently authorized the Pfizer vaccine for people in that age range.
“Excited and nervous and excited an nervous," 9-year-old Carter Cross told 2 News. "I just didn’t know what to think. I thought it would hurt since I don’t really like shots.”
Dr. Frost said this is a two-dose series, they are set up to host another vaccine clinic on December 4th.
“It seems like a big number today, but when you consider how big the population is within Tulsa Public Schools, it’s going to take a while to get there," Frost said.
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