COVID-19 illustration by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
HYANNIS – COVID vaccines could be on the way soon for children 5-11 years of age pending approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
That’s Barnstable County commissioners to look at boosting the vaccination rate region-wide through schools and a possible county-employee vaccine mandate.
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has begun the federal approval process for the age-range, and Commissioner Ronald Bergstrom asked Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment Director Sean O’Brien how the shots would be administered to children.
O’Brien said that the process would likely be similar for older students who have already received a shot of the Pfizer-brand COVID vaccine, currently the only vaccine eligible to be used for younger recipients 12 and older.
“We would provide that support to the school systems that would like it. We would be able to do clinics and have them right at the schools and also make shots available to parents who may be unvaccinated, too,” said O’Brien.
“There will be a lot of options for parents to follow.”
O’Brien also said that school or town nurses as well as local healthcare providers will likely also be able to assist in getting vaccines to children, given increases in vaccine accessibility in recent months.
He also said that the county is willing and able to step in to help provide booster shots to those eligible later this year, with a return to county-run mass vaccination sites also on the table.
The commissioners also discussed a potential vaccine mandate for potential employees, saying the coronavirus threat is not over.
“We’re looking down the road. Having successfully prevented our healthcare system from being overwhelmed and having limited the death right, what’s next?” said Bergstrom.
“As far as the pandemic goes, we don’t know how long it’s going to last.”
Bergstrom said that a vaccination rate as high as possible protects the community at large, not just the individual vaccinated.
Similar mandates are also being instituted for state employees by Governor Charlie Baker.
But there’s been pushback from some organizations including the union representing over 1,800 Massachusetts State Police troopers who wanted more time to negotiate the terms and conditions of their employment than the October 17 deadline provided.
Commissioner Sheila Lyons agreed with the idea of a mandate, but wanted to further examine what exceptions would be allowed for the requirement.
Commissioner Mark Forest also voiced similar interest, wanting to investigate a draft policy that the county could examine for issues with exemptions, compliance and response to violations.
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