DECATUR, Ill. (WAND)- Thursday covid-19 vaccines became available for children six months and older at the Macon County Health Department.

Decatur families told WAND News they've been waiting months for this protection for their family.

"It was just a finally. We've been waiting, and we kept getting the news maybe they'll approve it this month, maybe they'll approve it this month, and so we've just been waiting," Decatur mom, Melissa Scircle, told WAND News.

Scircle said her family had been taking extra precautions throughout the pandemic, because the youngest member of her family couldn't get vaccinated.

"We really have avoided doing a lot of things, because we wanted to keep our littlest person protected. So now we think we'll feel more comfortable doing things with- not just family members and friends- but like she gets to go to the Children's Museum for the first time in her life, or at least the first time since she was a baby," Scircle explained.

She is grateful the Macon County Health Department (MCHD) is now offering the shot for kids under five, after searching for somewhere to take her toddler.

"I called the pediatrician last week, they weren't doing it. So I just had to kind of search because she is under 3. We couldn't get it at Walgreens," Scircle added.

MCHD officials said parents should know the pediatric vaccine schedule looks different compared to when adults received their covid vaccines.

"6 months through 4 years of age they're going to get 3 doses- and that is a little bit different. So they're going to come in, then 3 weeks later they'll get their second dose and 8 weeks later they'll get their third," Amber Holthaus, Assistant Director of Nursing for MCHD told WAND News.

This is because the doses for young kids is smaller.

"So when its mixed with the diluent, the diluent is mixed with the vaccine and then the appropriate dose is drawn from that. So yes a 6-month old is going to be getting a smaller dose than an adult would," Holthaus added.

Parents who register their children for the Pfizer vaccine at the MCHD. 

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