ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Erie County Department of Public Health hosted a prom-themed vaccine clinic to encourage 16 and 17 year olds to get vaccinated for COVID-19. The clinics were held at ECC South in Orchard Park, ECC North in Williamsville and McKinley High School in Buffalo.
“It's important to vaccinate as many people as possible, but its more important to vaccinate our 16 and 17 year olds because there’s been an increasing number of cases in the teenage age group,” chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo Dr. Thomas Russo said.
The county is offering Pfizer vaccines for teens aged 16 to 17 and Moderna for those age 18 and up.
“We’re really trying hard to make this feel like a safe place, a comfortable place, that people would want to come in and get vaccinated," Erie County health commissioner Gale Burstein said. "This is our ticket out of the pandemic.”
Hundreds of teens signed up to be vaccinated Saturday and many others walked in.
“In a few weeks they’re gonna have prom, they're gonna have graduation, they're gonna have graduation parties. So we want everyone to be safe before any of those events happen,” Burstein said.
