{"id":178962,"date":"2021-11-04T11:22:28","date_gmt":"2021-11-04T15:22:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=178962"},"modified":"2021-11-04T11:22:28","modified_gmt":"2021-11-04T15:22:28","slug":"first-5-11-year-olds-get-vaccinated-at-uconn-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2021\/11\/first-5-11-year-olds-get-vaccinated-at-uconn-health\/","title":{"rendered":"First 5-11 Year Olds Get Vaccinated at UConn Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was an exciting and historic early morning in Farmington on Nov. 4 for newly eligible children ages 5-11 successfully receiving their first pediatric dose of the just approved COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine.<\/p>\n

Starting at 7:00 a.m. the UConn Health COVID-19 Vaccine Program kicked off this pediatric group\u2019s vaccinations with 50 children ages 5-11 scheduled to be vaccinated. Plus, 50 more set to be vaccinated on Friday, and 100 more on Saturday at another pediatric-only vaccine clinic.<\/p>\n

For appointments patients 12 and under need to call the UConn Health COVID-19 scheduling line at 860-679-5589. No walk-ins are accepted for these minors.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so exciting,\u201d shared Joanne Boucher, RN, Director of Ambulatory Operations at UConn Health. \u201cThese children are excited to be on the top of the list today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Theodore Sager, 7, and Felicity Sager, 5, of Hartford with their father Christian post-vaccination at UConn Health in Farmington (UConn Photo\/Lauren Woods).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some of the first children to receive their vaccinations on Nov. 4 were siblings Theodore Sager, 7, and Felicity Sager, 5, of Hartford who were cheered on by their proud father Christian.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood job that was a piece of cake. You did it! You did it! You\u2019ve waited so long.,\u201d cheered Sager. \u201cWe\u2019re very excited and looking forward to a return to normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been very careful for over a year and a half and now can be less worried. My job as a parent is to make sure they are safe. Today is the beginning. Today is a major step toward being safe,\u201d shared a relieved Sager. His family will return the day after Thanksgiving for the second required pediatric dose of the Pfizer vaccine.<\/p>\n

Children were happy and comforted to receive stickers from the UConn Health vaccine clinic staff after their vaccination.<\/p>\n

On day one UConn Health doctors also brought their children for vaccination as well.<\/p>\n

\"\"
UConn Health’s Dr. Angela Hart with her daughters Olivia and Abigail post-vaccination on Nov. 4. (UConn Photo\/Lauren Woods)<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re troopers,\u201d proudly shared Dr. Angela Hart about her daughters Olivia, 7, and Abigail, 5. For the last seven years Hart has practiced internal medicine at UConn Health following completion of her UConn residency training. \u201cI am so proud of them and they are showing other kids to also be brave and safe. They have sacrificed so much for their own safety and their family\u2019s safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hart added: \u201cAs parents if we set examples for our kids they will feel safe and supported. As a physician I can now tell my patients my kids got the vaccine too, my family got it, and I have done it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel really good,\u201d added Olivia after her vaccine shot.<\/p>\n

Nicholas Mortensen, 10, of Simsbury was also one of the first children to be vaccinated. His Dad Dr. Eric Mortensen is chief of general internal medicine at UConn Health.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been waiting to be vaccinated since my Mom and Dad got the vaccine,\u201d shared Mortensen. \u201cI want to have a lower chance of catching the virus and a lower chance of symptoms.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Joanne Boucher, RN, with newly vaccinated Nicholas Mortensen, age 10, at UConn Health on Nov. 4 (UConn Photo\/Lauren Woods).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mom Christine Mortensen couldn\u2019t stop smiling on the long-awaited vaccination day for Nicholas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so glad,\u201d shared Mortensen. \u201cNicholas couldn\u2019t sleep last night. He\u2019s has been asking when he can get vaccinated so he can have Thanksgiving with his Grandma and Grandpa. We are relieved now that he\u2019s going to be protected. We are so grateful and a little less worried now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other local children and their parents are also feeling relieved post-vaccination.<\/p>\n

Rishaan Sisodia, 8, of Farmington is now looking forward to finally and safely going to Disney World this summer to celebrate his birthday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt nervous but it didn\u2019t really hurt,\u201d said Sisodia. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t so bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Rishaan Sisodia, 8, of Farmington on Nov. 4 being vaccinated with his first pediatric dose of the Pfizer vaccine (UConn Photo\/Lauren Woods).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

His father Samrat Sisodia exclaimed: \u201cIt\u2019s an exciting day. We are all vaccinated today. I recommend to other parents to get it done. It\u2019s safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Post-vaccination Benjamin Zeisler, 9, of West Hartford reports: \u201cIt\u2019s like a flu shot!\u201d<\/p>\n

And his Dad knows what\u2019s coming next.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s going to go to school and tell everybody,\u201d stressed Jonathan Zeisler.<\/p>\n

Cayla Covia, 10, also of West Hartford was vaccinated successfully with her first dose too. Mom Courtney Covia couldn\u2019t be happier.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are on the road to being a fully vaccinated family,\u201d Covia excitedly shared.<\/p>\n

UConn Health\u2019s COVID-19 Vaccine Program\u2019s message to other parents and children:<\/p>\n

\"\"
Benjamin Zeisler, 9, of West Hartford after receiving his vaccine and vaccine card (UConn Photo\/Lauren Woods).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cPlease come get vaccinated. Every shot makes a difference. We really want to change the trajectory of the pandemic and help protect our community,\u201d says Boucher of UConn Health.<\/p>\n

When talking to your young children about the COVID-19 vaccine Boucher recommends: \u201cKeep it simple. Share with your children that it\u2019s a medicine that will help keep you safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boucher also shared if any local school would like to arrange for a pediatric clinic at UConn Health the institution is here to help keep their students safe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are available to help if schools want their kids to come here,\u201d says Boucher.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Cayla Covia, 10, of West Hartford was vaccinated at UConn Health on Nov. 4 (UConn Photo\/Lauren Woods).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In fact, UConn Health has already partnered with the West Hartford\/Bloomfield Health District to have pediatric aged patients 5-11 come to the UConn Health Outpatient Pavilion for vaccination on two days with their parent or guardian. These days are Friday, Nov. 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Friday, Nov. 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Also, they are working with the Tolland school system to visit one of its elementary schools on Nov. 15 to meet the Health District\u2019s vaccination needs for it 5-11 year olds with their parent\/guardian.<\/p>\n

For the latest vaccine information visit the UConn Health COVID-19 Vaccine Program website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On the morning of Nov. 4 UConn Health began administering for the first time pediatric first dose COVID-19 Pfizer vaccines to newly eligible children ages 5-11 years old.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":178970,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1715,2231,1868,179],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[1873],"class_list":["post-178962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-impact","category-health-well-being","category-meds","category-uconn-health"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-22 05:41:36","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/98"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=178962"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":178983,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178962\/revisions\/178983"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/178970"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=178962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=178962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=178962"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=178962"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=178962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}