Nearly two weeks after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved COVID-19 vaccines for kids 6 months to 4 years old, distribution is slow-moving in Nashville.
Metro clinics received a combined 200 Pfizer vaccines Wednesday and will begin offering vaccines for ages 6 months to 4 years on Friday by appointment at its clinics.
“We want to see what the uptake is like before we order more,” said Matt Peters, spokesperson for the Metro Public Health Department.
Tennessee state data shows slightly more than 1,700 children under 4 years old have received the vaccine — less than 1 percent of the population. Davidson County’s data does not yet show how many total kids in the age range have been vaccinated, though organizations are each responsible for sending counts to the state. Metro Public Health is waiting until there is more widespread availability, and the vaccine dashboard will begin tracking in the coming weeks, Peters said.
At a four-day event hosted at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt last week, 246 Pfizer shots were administered to babies and toddlers. Children who got those initial shots have the follow-up doses scheduled, though another vaccination event open to the public is not on the calendar.
Only children who are established patients of the center can make an appointment to be vaccinated at one of VUMC’s clinics — 100 Oaks, Smyrna Pediatrics or any of the primary care clinics on the main campus of the children’s hospital.
For children ages 6 months to 4 years old, the CDC has approved a two-dose Moderna regimen and a three-dose Pfizer regimen.
Both Meharry Medical Group and Neighborhood Health have not yet begun offering the vaccine for this age group.
Immediately after the CDC recommendation was released, Tennessee House Republican leaders asked Gov. Bill Lee to block the state department of health from recommending or distributing the vaccine for children under 5.
The Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics released a response to the letter.
“As pediatricians, we have seen children hospitalized with COVID and MIS-C (multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children) and we are eager for the opportunity to vaccinate young children who have previously been left out of this important protection.”
Lee has not yet responded to the letter.
