HARTFORD, Conn. — Now that children ages 5 to 11 have become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccinations, Dunkin Donuts Park in Hartford will once again provide a venue for an indoor clinic.
The Hartford Yard Goats made their stadium available to the public for vaccines for adults when the first shots became available about a year ago. On Wednesday, Gov. Ned Lamont joined local leaders to announce that kids can now get their doses at the ballpark.
“This means your kids will be able to stay in school safely and not have to quarantine,” Lamont said. “I can tell you as a state and a country, this really puts us more on the offense against COVID.”
Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin also welcomed the clinic at Dunkin Donuts Park, saying, “This is the game-changer we’ve been waiting for. The ability to protect our kids who are in school who have not had the protection that so many of us who already are vaccinated have. This is a major inflection point in our battle against this pandemic.”
The Dunkin Donuts Park clinics will happen on Nov. 14 and Dec. 5 beginning at 10 am.
Leslie Torres-Rodriguez, the superintendent of Hartford Public Schools, is already doing her best to urge parents to let their children get the shot.
“Vaccines are safe,” said Torres-Rodriguez, “and we are going to support and do our intense outreach to answer any questions [parents] might have.”
The clinic is a collaboration between the City of Hartford, Hartford Public Schools, Connecticut Children’s and Saint Francis Hospital.
Dr. Juan Salazar, an infectious disease specialist at Connecticut Children’s, is working to convince as many parents as possible to get their 5 to 11-year olds vaccinated. Salazar said, “to a parent, I would say this is another piece of the safety net that will keep your kid safe, and, as a parent, I want to do 100 percent of what I can to keep my kids safe.”
Walk-ins are welcome at the Dunkin Donuts Park clinics but they advise making a vaccination appointment for your child by calling 860-757-4830.
Additional information about the Covid-19 vaccination is available here.
Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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