Delaware launches vaccine outreach for kids in Wilmington

Kids ages 12 and up will get a chance to get their COVID-19 vaccine this Sunday at The Warehouse teen center in Northeast Wilmington.

Mark Eichmann

May 14, 2021

Jenna Baron, 12, of Voorhees, N.J., gets her first Pfizer COVID-19 shot from registered nurse Samantha Hickson at the Burlington County mega site in Moorestown. She is accompanied by her father, Robert Baron, a Vice President of operations for Virtua Medical Group. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

Now that federal and state officials have cleared the way for kids as young as 12 to get the vaccine, Delaware leaders are starting a new campaign to get the vaccine into younger arms.

That effort takes a big step forward Sunday afternoon at The Warehouse teen center in Northeast Wilmington.

Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, who has worked as a public health nurse, will be delivering doses of the vaccine to anyone over the age of 12 who lives in the Wilmington ZIP codes 19801 and 19802.

Walk-ups are welcome and residents can also sign up online through the Henrietta Johnson Medical Center.

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This week, the number of new coronavirus cases in the state hit a six-month low while the positivity rate dropped below 4% for the first time in two months.

As of Friday afternoon, 45.5% of the state’s entire population had received at least one dose of the vaccine, 36% are fully vaccinated. While numbers aren’t yet available for the 12+ crowd, 56% of residents over the age of 16 have received at least one shot, and 44.4% are fully vaccinated.

Gov. John Carney urged more Delawareans to get their vaccines, especially as he’s ordered indoor capacity restrictions on restaurants, stores and other businesses lifted starting May 21.

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