Livingston Kids Are Eligible For New COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Running Just This Week

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Families in both Livingston and Maplewood are eligible to take advantage of a new COVID-19 vaccination clinic that's running just this week by St. Barnabas/Robert Wood Johnson and the Millburn schools, a school district spokesperson said Wednesday. (Essex County is also providing its own vaccine clinics for children. Find out more about the other clinics here.)

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The clinic, which runs through Friday, was first offered just to Millburn children, but is also available for families in the neighboring towns of Livingston and Maplewood if they register, said the district.

The clinic is open to children 5 to 11 years old. It's being held at the Glenwood School on Taylor Road through Friday.

Three weeks ago, the Centers for Disease Control recommended that children 5 to 11 years old be vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Pfizer pediatric vaccine. (Check with your doctor first if your children have special health concerns). Children 12 and older, and adults, had already become eligible.

While the majority of children have recovered from COVID, the CDC noted that they can pass it along to their caregivers. The agency estimates that 140,000 American children have lost a caregiver to COVID "who provided the child's home and basic needs, including love, security, and daily care."

The CDC notes that "Although children are at a lower risk of becoming severely ill with
COVID-19 compared with adults," they can also suffer long-term effects. (You can read more about the trials and vaccines here.)

As of Sunday, 763,000 Americans have died of COVID in 20 months. Others have suffered long-term effects.

More Details About The Clinic

The clinic will take place Thursday, Nov. 18 and Friday, Nov. 19 from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. They will be administering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 only — a child must be five years old by Nov. 18 to be eligible.

The clinic will have enough supply for 1,000 students.

The second shot will be administered at the same location/times on Dec. 9 and 10. Families will receive their follow-up appointment when they get the shot.

People interested in having their children vaccinated on Thursday or Friday can submit their registration using this form. One registration needs to be submitted per child.

There are 30 appointment slots available every 15 minutes. Walk-ins are not accepted and masks are required inside all schools.

Students must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who will sign a consent form. More information can be found here.

Essex County is also providing vaccine clinics for children. Find out more about that here.

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