Some Rapid City parents wary of young children receiving the COVID vaccine

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Since the CDC gave the green light for vaccinating children between the ages of five through 11, families here and across the country have been taking their children to get the small dose.

With this addition, 28-million young children are now eligible.

Some local parents, however, are opting against vaccinating children.

“From information that I’ve gotten, vaccines can take up to ten years to develop. And for our government, or the FDA to say that they can come up with a safe vaccine in six months is absolutely ridiculous to me,” lifelong South Dakota resident Scott Mellendorf said. “And I would never allow my children to be vaccinated when they have no proof of the long-term.”

As of this past Wednesday, November, 10, NBC news estimates close to one million young children have received their first dose.

For Rapid City resident Char, she attributes her decision to not vaccinate her children with her experience working in healthcare.

“I work mostly with elderly and disabled, so I get that their immune systems aren’t as strong,” the mother of two begins. “But seeing what it has done to them and caused, I definitely will not be doing it for my kids.”

Medical experts say any possible side effects from the vaccine – fatigue, swelling in the arm or a headache – usually go away in a couple of days.

A complete list of side effects for older adult patients can be found here and here for persons with a disability.

As for masks, neither Rapid City nor South Dakota has had a mask mandate in place since the pandemic began.

For Char and her family, they are planning on not wearing them unless required.

“When we’re outside, they’re definitely not going to be. If we have to go somewhere and they’re required, then yes, we will,” she explained. “Just because if that’s what we want to do, we want to participate. So we’re going to mask up in order to do it.”