BLOOMINGDALE, Ill. (WLS) — As the first round of COVID-19 vaccinations for the last group to get approval, infants, toddlers and preschoolers, began in the Chicago area, locations in the suburbs and the city are helping get shots into little arms.
Tears from a little one were hard to watch. But in this case, tears brought relief to many parents.
“Very happy and a little sad that my wife didn’t take her to this instead of me,” said Michael Munie, a parent. “She’s our youngest daughter. We have two older ones. They are already vaccinated and boosted and we’ve just been waiting on her.”
Now, the wait is finally over.
“It’s a really exciting time for both parents and pediatricians,” said La Rabida Children’s Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sarah Hoehn.
On Monday morning, some parents wasted no time.
“I am just happy that we’re able to put an end to this chapter,” said Regan Berg. “For us, it was an easy decision.”
La Rabida Hospital in Chicago serves children with special medical needs. The hospital is now awaiting its first shipment to vaccinate its most vulnerable patients.
“We’ve underestimated some of the risks in terms of how sick kids potentially can get from it,” Hoehn said. “They’re at much higher risk than others who are getting more severe effects of COVID.”
No matter the level of risk, for most parents, any risk for their children is one risk too many.
“There’s no magic bullet, but it’s the right thing to do, so I’m grateful we got to this stage,” Munie said.
That’s why a small pharmacy and clinic in Bloomingdale has been getting a lot of attention on social media.
Many parents said they drove there after finding the location on parent Facebook groups or on Twitter. The staff there said since they’ve opened, they’ve seen picnics in the parking lot and families from as far as Peoria and across state lines from Wisconsin.
