How is the central coast preparing to vaccinate children 5-11 years old

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION) Schools around the central coast are currently waiting for the go-ahead to start administering vaccines to children 5 to 11 years old.

The Monterey County Office of Education is partnering up with Safeway and other agencies for vaccine clinics throughout the different school districts.

Thousands of children across the Central Coast ages 5 to 11 years are now eligible for pediatric Pfizer dose. Cities like San Jose have already administered their first shots.

 "We'll set up sites at different school districts for them to happen... What we did was we partnered with Safeway pharmacies in Monterey and Salinas in the peninsula areas to vaccine in those areas. And then in Soledad, we've partnered with the clinic there for all south county," said Tim Ryan, Deputy Superintendent for the Monterey County Office of Education.

Over in Santa Cruz County, they're over in Santa Cruz County. they're also working on establishing clinics with the goal of vaccinating 40% with at least one dose by the end of the year. Dr. Ghilarducci, deputy health officer for the county calls the vaccine safe.

"It avoids children from getting COVID, and there's a handful of children that get very sick from from COVID. And we don't know ahead of time who that might be. So this is an important thing for individual children and for their families to get these vaccinations," said Ghilarducci.

For some the announcement has garnered mixed reactions.

"Everybody has a choice and those are being forgotten about. A lot of people are forgetting that they have a choice, that they're an individual, said Nicole Alexander from Let Them Breathe Monterey County.

One grandparent says she thinks that kids should get vaccinated.

"And I trust it. I have grandchildren, I want them vaccinated,” said Sally Guzman.

The schools are just awaiting the green light to go ahead and administer the pediatric vaccines.