LOUISVILLE, Ky. — They're no longer too young to stand in line to get their shots. Monday opened the eligibility for 16-year-olds and older to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Kentucky.
"Not being able to go to school has been really hard for me because I hadn't been able to communicate with others that well and I kind of been isolated in my house," 16-year-old sophomore at Ballard High School Kyleigh Wade said. "I definitely would [take the vaccine] although I would be a little cautious of it.
Other parents with 16 and 17-year-olds that talked to WHAS11 said some of their kids have already been vaccinated because they have jobs outside of school like child care and food service.
Wade's grandfather is making her decision a bit easier because he lives in a nursing home.
"He had COVID but he doesn't anymore so we had to face to face like behind a glass so that was kind of difficult for me," Wade said.
Wade's mother, Diedre Wade, said she supports whatever her daughter's decision is.
"The silver lining is finally showing it’s like okay hey we’re going through this and this isn’t just our total lives from here on out," she said.
As UofL Health prepares to open the largest drive-thru site in the state, doctors are especially hoping to see students come by.
"I think we see that young people feel a feeling that they are invincible and we can say that they aren't we have seen young people that get sick, young people that get COVID and end up being very sick in the hospital," Dr. Hugh Shoff said.
Anyone who is 16 or 17 should arrive with a parent or a guardian.
"I want people to feel comfortable with this especially as we reach the younger population this is not hard it's easy to sign up not only people have serious side effects and if anything you feel a little sore," Shoff said.
UofL Health's mass vaccination site at Cardinal Stadium will open next Monday. The goal is to vaccinate up to 4,000 people each day over the course of seven weeks. For more information on scheduling appointments, click here.
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