Mayo Clinic Eau Claire nurse explains her decision to vaccinate daughter

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - Mayo Clinic is now giving kids ages 5-11 the COVID-19 vaccine.

Friday, Mayo Clinc Eau Claire nurse Kelly Buchholtz took her 10-year-old daughter Lexi in to get her first pediatric dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

Kelly Buchholtz said she’s been waiting for a while to get her daughter vaccinated.

She said she’s seen plenty of virus patients, including kids, come through the hospital throughout the pandemic.

“Kids are at risk just like anyone else,” Kelly Buchholtz said. “Maybe they’re not in our ICU here in Eau Claire but they’re in ICUs all over the country and, you know, the vaccine was important to me for her to keep her as healthy as possible.”

She added, getting Lexi vaccinated is how their family can get closer to normal.

“For me, it was important for her to get it so that she can be as safe as possible considering everything, so she can stay in school, so she can play sports, she can do all the things that she wants to do in a safe as manner as possible,” Kelly Buchholtz said.

She said she hopes all parents who can, will vaccinated their kids.

Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the final go ahead for kids ages 5-11 to start receiving Pfizer’s pediatric COVID-19 vaccine dose. It’s one-third the size of the adult dose.

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