NOVEMBER 12, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A15
Childen ages 5 to 11 eligible for vaccine
By JOEY CAPPELLETTI
Of the Keizertimes
Oregon children from the ages of
5 to 11 are now eligible to receive the
Pfi zer vaccine after the Western States
Scientifi c Safety Review Workgroup
unanimously agreed with the CDC that
pediatric doses are safe and eff ective.
The workgroup is comprised of sci-
entists across four states and said in
a statement on Nov. 3 that “similar to
what was seen in adult vaccine trials,
vaccination was nearly 91 percent eff ec-
tive in preventing COVID-19 among
children aged 5-11 years.”
“Expanding COVID-19 vaccination
in this age group will protect children
5-11 years of age who are vaccinated and
allow them to more safely engage in edu-
cational and other activities important
to their health and development; give
parents a means of further protecting
their children; and contribute to con-
trol of the COVID-19 pandemic in our
states,” the statement added.
The pediatric dosage is one-third of
the adolescent and adult dose but still
consists of two shots spaced at least
three weeks apart. Children ages 5 to
11 will be able to receive the vaccine at
pediatrician’s offi ces and multiple phar-
macies in Keizer and Salem.
Pharmacies in Keizer still appear
to be working on getting the pediatric
doses as Rite Aid, Walgreens, Safeway
and CVS Pharmacy all list on their
websites that appointments for chil-
dren 5 to 11 are not yet available at the
Keizer locations. One pharmacist at the
Safeway in Keizer did say, however, that
their location was administering shots
for children 7 to 11 and walk-in appoint-
ments were available.
One of the easiest ways to fi nd where
the vaccine is available is by using
the Oregon Health Authority Vaccine
Finder and selecting the “Pfi zer age 5 to
11” fi lter.
Currently, there are available
appointments for children at the Salem
locations of Walgreens and Rite Aid.
Additionally, there are many appoint-
ments available on the Salem Health
website.
Under Oregon law, minors age 15
and above may give consent to receive
medical treatment, including vaccina-
tions, when provided by a physician or
other professionals operating under the
license of these providers. Parental or
guardian consent is required to vacci-
nate people under 14 years old.
Parents are encouraged to check
the vaccine provider’s requirements
for consent and accompanying minors
before going to the appointment.
of the Week
presented by
EMANUEL MCGLADREY
Where and how
do you volunteer?
"I volunteer with CASA of Marion
County and Salem Keizer Schools.
The work with CASA centers on
providing advocacy for children
involved with the foster care
system. CASA works on one case
at a time, focusing their attention
on the children of a single family.
CASA’s connect with those involved
in the case, get to know the family
and foster providers, and make
recommendations to the court as
to what is in the best interest of
the child/children. There is often
a carry over to supporting the
families and foster parents as well.
I work through the Marion County
CASA offi ce, which is located on N.
River Road."
How would you get
others to volunteer
in their community?
Kids in Oregon, ages 5 to 11, can now receive the Pfizer vaccine.
Halfpoint
Your Neighbor
Your Realtor
Start a Conversation with Keizer’s own Go-To-REALTOR for Buying & Selling
3975 River Rd N, Suite 3, Keizer
call or text 503-983-4086
email bobshack1@gmail.com
Bob Shackelford is a licensed
real estate broker in Oregon.
CURRENT
PRESIDENT
K EIZER CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
Bob SHACKELFORD
Broker
"Kind, helpful people abound
in our town. People want to
help out, but don’t know what
is required or who needs the
help. A big part of engaging
volunteers is communicating
the roles that need to be fi lled
and the expectations of the role.
A digital community bulletin
board with the opportunities and
responsibilities detailed would be
a good starting point. Publicising
the bulletin board could be done
any time the community gathers,
on yard signs and through the city
hall website. Volunteerism is part
of Keizer’s motto. It should be a
tab on the city’s public interface."