Over 4,000 5-11 year olds vaccinated during “Protect AS One”

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — More than 4,000 COVID-19 doses have been administered to children between the ages of 5 to 11 during the government’s three week mass vaccination drive in December, according to recent Health Department data, while the department has set up vaccination sites at its clinics this week instead of returning to schools when they re-open following the two-week Christmas holiday break.

DoH along with its partners, as part of the “Protect AS One” COVID-19 mass vaccination drive launched during the first three-weeks of December started from the Central district followed by Western and Eastern districts — to boost the vaccination rate to 90% or more, with the target age group — those 5 to 11 years old.  Most of the clinics during the drive were at schools.

DoH data, as of late week, shows that from Dec. 1 to Dec. 23, a total of 4,565 doses were administered for children ages 5 to 11 years old. Of the overall total, DoH data states that 3,940 doses were for the first-shot and 625 for the 2nd shot.

For the age group, 12 to 17 years old, total number of doses administered during the same time period, stands at 432 — with 263 for the first-shot; 163 for the second shot and six for the booster.

The overall total number of doses administered between Dec. 1 and Dec. 23 for 5 years old and over, comes to 7,586 — with 4,490 first doses; 1,162 for second dose and 1,934 for a booster.

ASG offered the $100 cash incentive during the vaccination drive but ASG employees and those getting the booster were not eligible.

As schools headed into the two-week Christmas holiday, DoH urged parents, especially those of 5 to 11 years old to take their children due for a second shot to DoH clinics, and announced during a news conference of plans to return this week to schools when students return to the classroom.

However, in a health advisory issued last Thursday, DoH announced that it will not be going to schools this week as originally planned and apologized for the inconvenience. However, the clinics will be open after hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4pm to 7pm.

DoH also released a schedule for this week’s vaccination at designated clinics for individuals 5 years of age and older, as well as boosters.