JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County students as young as five years old got their second dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine Saturday morning.
Jason Waszak showed up to Riverside High School to get his son and daughter their second COVID-19 vaccination shot.
“We feel that it is important for them being members of the community,” said Waszak, whose kids attend West Riverside Elementary School. “People might be immunocompromised. We are helping protect them. We’re just trying to do our part.”
Dozens of families like the Waszaks walked into a handful of Duval County public schools Saturday morning between 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to get Pfizer’s second dose.
Cheryl West’s sons got their first shot back on Nov. 11.
Her youngest is about to turn 6 years old.
“We wanted to get them vaccinated for their safety and for our family’s safety, also for the community and their teachers,” said West, whose sons go to Fishweir Elementary School.
The second shot was administered at four schools:
- Riverside High School
- First Coast High School
- Springfield Middle School
- Landmark Middle School
Getting the shot comes at a time when vaccination among kids between 5 and 11 years five is low in the county because of parent hesitancy, according to the Florida Department of Health in Duval County.
Waszak and West wanted to get their kids vaccinated as quickly as possible.
“They are just as scared,” Waszak said. “They are going to school and are around kids who are getting sick. Obviously, they kind of feel protected as well [after getting vaccinated].
“It keeps them safe,” West said. “It keeps our family safe, their school, and the teachers.”
They say they are rolling up their sleeves to help the community.
A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Health in Duval County says the agency will find out how many students received the second dose within the next week.