KALISPELL — The Flathead County Health Department is set to host their first mass COVID-19 vaccine clinic for kids aged 5 to 11 at the Flathead County Fairgrounds.
Flathead County Health Officer Joe Russell said the mass vaccine clinic will be by appointment-only from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 1.
Russell said the mass clinic aims to meet an overwhelming demand for the new pediatric dose of COVID-19 vaccine, despite only 42% of the eligible population being fully immunized in Flathead County.
He said health officials plan to administer more than 600 doses of the vaccine during Wednesday’s clinic.
“If we’re going to start to get the demand met this is the only way we’re going to get it done, we’re not going to get in trickles, we’ve got to turn the faucet on,” said Russell.
Russell said health department officials have been vaccinating around 80 kids each Wednesday at the health department office.
He said health department officials are working hard to make Wednesday’s clinic a more comfortable setting for young children, with special festive surprises at the fairgrounds.
“We need to make it a little bit more comfortable setting, you certainly don’t want that kind of wind them up and get them done type environment because it’s just not conducive to that age group,” added Russell.
Appointments for Wednesday's clinic can be made online.