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COVID-19 booster shots available for kids 5-11 at Forsyth County Department of Public Health

The Forsyth County Department of Public Health is now offering booster shots to children ages 5-11, as long as it has been five months since their last shot. MARY ALTAFFER/AP

COVID-19 booster shots are now available in North Carolina for children ages 5-11. The news comes amid a surge in cases. 

The percent positive rate in Forsyth County is now at 17.7% — close to what it was in mid-February as the omicron wave was winding down. 

County Public Health Director Joshua Swift says the best way to protect yourself is to make sure you're up to date on boosters, as they greatly reduce the risk of hospitalization or death. Demand for the shots remains stagnant. 

“We're staying at 30 to 40 people per day that are coming through the health department mostly to get boosters, a few still first doses, it's never too late to get your first dose of COVID-19 vaccine," said Swift. "But we're not seeing a big demand.”

That could change soon though, as the state health department recently approved boosters for children ages 5-11. Swift says the county health department is now offering boosters to those in this age range, as long as it's been five months since their second shot. 

More information about child vaccination sites is available at MySpot.nc.gov

April Laissle is a reporter and WFDD's host of All Things Considered. Her work has been featured on several national news programs and recognized by the Public Media Journalists Association and the Radio Television Digital News Association. Before joining WFDD in 2019, she worked at public radio stations in Ohio and California.

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