With COVID-19 vaccine rates among children remaining extremely low, county public health directors in the Finger Lakes region today further urged parents to get their children vaccinated.

The public health directors highlighted the current vaccination rates (as of the latest tracking data, March 3, 2022) among children ages 5 to 11 who are fully vaccinated.

• Genesee County: 19.4%
• Livingston County: 28.3%
• Ontario County: 38.1%
• Orleans County: 16.7%
• Schuyler County: 16.5%
• Seneca County: 21.6%
• Steuben County: 18.3%
• Wayne County: 25.7%
• Yates County: 16.1%

“Children across the Finger Lakes region need to be better protected against COVID-19, and the best protection is to get vaccinated,” said Michele Foster, Executive Director

S2AY Rural Health Network. “Unfortunately, the current vaccination rates among eligible children in the region remain woefully low. The vaccines are safe and effective, and we encourage parents to get their children fully vaccinated against the virus to avoid severe illness or hospitalization.”

Children and adolescents ages 5 to 17 are eligible to receive only two doses of the Pfizer vaccine – the first dose plus a booster three weeks later. Vaccines are not yet available for children under the age of 5. Parents who have questions about the vaccines can get more information at www.GetYourAnswers.org and the Finger Lakes COVID-19 Vaccine Hub.