COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics For Kids 5 to 11 Coming Up in Pittsfield

Berkshire Health Systems has announced that it has scheduled COVID-19 vaccine clinics for children ages 5 to 11. BHS says it's expanding its vaccine program with the special pediatric clinics as COVID-19 continues to impact the region.

Because vaccination can sometimes be anxiety-inducing, particularly for children, the clinics have been specifically designed with children and their well-being in mind. BHS will not be offering adult doses during these clinic hours. The pediatric clinics will be staffed by highly skilled and knowledgeable pediatric nurses and emergency personnel will be standing by to offer support if needed.

Who can get the shots, when and where?

According to a news release on the Berkshire Health Systems website, the pediatric clinics will provide the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 and will be held the first Saturday of each month, beginning March 5th at the BHS Vaccine Center, located at 505 East Street in Pittsfield. The clinics are being held from 8 am to 12 noon.

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Appointments are required...

According to BHS, each child being vaccinated needs to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and appointments are necessary. They can be made by calling the BHS COVID-19 Hotline, 855-BMC-LINK (855-262-5465), or by booking an appointment online through the child’s Berkshire Patient Portal account.

If you have questions about setting up a Patient Portal account for your child, you should call 413-447-2505 or email berkshireportal@bhs1.org.

Facts from the CDC (from the news release):

According to the Federal Centers for Disease Control, there have been nearly 2 million cases of COVID-19 within the 5 to 11-year-old age group during the pandemic. COVID-19 can make children very sick and cause children to be hospitalized. In some situations, the complications from infection can lead to death. Children are as likely to be infected with COVID-19 as adults and can get very sick from COVID-19. In addition, they can have both short and long-term health complications from COVID-19 and can spread the virus to others at home and school.

As of mid-October 2021, children ages 5 through 11 years have experienced more than 8,300 COVID-19 related hospitalizations and nearly 100 deaths from COVID-19. In fact, COVID-19 ranks as one of the top 10 causes of death for children ages 5 through 11 years.