Hours after the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on Pfizer-BioNTech's lower-dose COVID pediatric vaccine, the first shots were administered in Dallas County.
Big sister Aiden, age 8, held her six-year-old twin sisters hands as they each received their first dose.
"Most of the time it just felt like a flu shot, like a little pinch," Aiden said.
Among the first to receive the pediatric vaccine, their parents said they were relieved.
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"We’d been waiting for them to get vaccinated as soon as possible," said their father Brett Pinkus. "We’d like to be protected and get out there and have a normal life as soon as they can."
Children ages 5-11 receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will require two doses administered three weeks apart, meaning children vaccinated by Veterans Day would be fully vaccinated by Christmas Eve.
"We're just relieved that we're all vaccinated and happy that all the kids can start getting them," said their mother Rebecca Pinkus.
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More than a million doses are already on their way to Texas hospitals, doctor offices, pharmacies and health departments.
Unlike the early days of the vaccine rollout for adults, health leaders said there is enough vaccine for every child to receive a shot.
"When we think about what is a really important role as a parent, one of the things is to keep our kids safe," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins. "Vaccine makes our kids safer."
Dallas County Health & Human Services is currently scheduling appointments to administer the pediatric doses. Denton County Public Health also opened their vaccine portal so parents can make appointments.
For more on where to find a shot in North Texas, visit here.
