INDIANAPOLIS — The vaccination clinic at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for young children opened at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday and was scheduled to welcome walk-ins until 8:00 p.m.
Families rushed to get shots for kids ages 5 through 11, creating long lines as far as the eye could see. People patiently waited for their turn as police and the National Guard were doing their best to keep traffic moving.
The clinic closed early at 6:30 p.m. but is also accepting walk-ins on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Marion County Public Health Department is taking appointments at select locations for children ages 5 to 11 starting Thursday.
The clinic is run by the state. The health department said they're trying to make it easy for parents to sign their kids up for the COVID-19 vaccine. Walk-ins are welcome, but it varies from clinic to clinic.
That registration includes identifying a clinic to get the shot. After your child gets the vaccine, it's recorded electronically. Just like with adults and older children, there's a 15-minute wait after the vaccination to make sure there's aren't any immediate side effects.
The health department hopes these simple steps encourage parents to get their child vaccinated.
"It's not just for high-risk kids. It really is for everyone. The more kids we get vaccinated, the less disease we are going to see in our adults, as well. It just has a really positive impact that maybe we are getting close to the end of this pandemic" said Melissa McMasters, administrator of the Immunization and Infectious Disease Program at the health department.
Once a child gets the first dose, their parents will make the next appointment for the second shot.
For more information about how to make an appointment, click here.