HARLINGEN — Carolyn Bryant had been hesitant about getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
However, the 14-year-old waited patiently Saturday to receive her shot at a COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at the Harlingen Convention Center.
What convinced her?
“All my teachers are in the medical field,” said the Harlingen School for Health Professions freshman.
“We’ve been talking about it in class,” she said. “I feel it’s the best choice now.”
The city of Harlingen organized the drive-thru clinic to administer both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Children ages 12 to 17 years received the Pfizer, and the Moderna was given to adults 18 and older. The clinic began at noon, but a long line of cars had already formed at 11:30 a.m.
“It’s to give the second dose for those that received the first dose July 31,” said Josh Ramirez, health director for the city of Harlingen.
“We had over 250 people July 31, so we expect the same amount of people today,” he said. “We’re also offering the first dose.”
David Hernandez and his wife brought their daughter Violeta, 12, to get her shot. He and his wife were already fully vaccinated, but they were hesitant at first.
“It was experimental time,” he said, “but then people started getting vaccinated.”
Now they wanted their daughter, a seventh-grader at Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, to get her shot.
“We don’t want her getting COVID,” he said matter-of-factly.
Harlingen resident Salvador Guerrero brought her two grandsons aged 12 and 15 over from Reynosa. This was a crucial opportunity for the two youngsters who are originally from the U.S.
“Class has already started in Reynosa,” she said. “It’s their life.”
