UAMS, Arkansas Children’s to Offer Pediatric COVID Vaccines

By Linda Satter

The clinic is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. Children will receive the Pfizer vaccine. Appointments are available but not required. A parent or legal guardian must be present to sign the vaccine acknowledgement form. To make an appointment visit uamshealth.com or call 501-686-8960. The clinic will be closed for Veterans Day on Nov. 11, but Arkansas Children’s will be offering vaccines that day at 1617 West 13th Street in Little Rock. Appointments can be made by visiting archildrens.org/GetMyVaccine.

“We are thrilled to have reached this milestone in being able to offer COVID vaccines to young children,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “This population is very vulnerable, and vaccines remain our best way out of this pandemic. UAMS is committed to providing easy and convenient access to everyone eligible for vaccines across Arkansas.”

“We are excited the COVID-19 vaccine is now available for children five and older,” said Marcy Doderer, President and CEO, Arkansas Children’s. “We believe the best way to protect children against COVID-19 is for everyone who is eligible, to be vaccinated. If deciding to get the COVID-19 vaccine is difficult for you and your family, we encourage you to talk about it with your trusted healthcare provider.”

The pediatric vaccine is a lower dose of mRNA, but like the adult Pfizer vaccine, a second dose is required 21 days later for maximum protection from the COVID virus.

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise including its hospital, regional clinics and clinics it operates or staffs in cooperation with other providers. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. U.S. News & World Report recognized UAMS Medical Center as a Best Hospital for 2021-22; ranked its ear, nose and throat program among the top 50 nationwide for the third year; and named five areas as high performing — colon cancer surgery, diabetes, hip replacement, knee replacement and stroke. Forbes magazine ranked UAMS as seventh in the nation on its Best Employers for Diversity list. UAMS also ranked in the top 30% nationwide on Forbes’ Best Employers for Women list and was the only Arkansas employer included. UAMS has 2,876 students, 898 medical residents and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

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About Arkansas Children’s

Arkansas Children’s, Inc. is the only healthcare system in the state solely dedicated to caring for Arkansas’ 703,000 children. The private, non-profit organization includes two pediatric hospitals, a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a nursery alliance, statewide clinics, and many education and outreach programs — all focused on fulfilling a promise to define and deliver unprecedented child health. Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) is a 336-bed, Magnet-recognized facility in Little Rock operating the state’s only Level I pediatric trauma center; the state’s only burn center; the state’s only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit; the state’s only pediatric intensive care unit; the state’s only pediatric surgery program with Level 1 verification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS); the state’s only magnetoencephalography (MEG) system for neurosurgical planning and cutting-edge research; and the state’s only nationally recognized pediatric transport program. Additionally, ACH is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report in four pediatric subspecialties (2020—2021): Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Nephrology, Pulmonology and Urology. ACH is one of only five hospitals in the nation that have achieved Magnet Status, ACS Level 1 verification and a Beacon award from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW), the first and only pediatric hospital in the Northwest Arkansas region, opened in Springdale in early 2018. ACNW operates a 24-bed inpatient unit; a surgical unit with five operating rooms; outpatient clinics offering over 20 subspecialties; diagnostic services; imaging capabilities; occupational therapy services; and Northwest Arkansas’ only pediatric emergency department, equipped with 30 exam rooms. Generous philanthropic and volunteer engagement has sustained Arkansas Children’s since it began as an orphanage in 1912, and today ensures the system can fundamentally transform the health of children in Arkansas and beyond. To learn more, visit archildrens.org.