Vicksburg Warren School District has partnered with the Warren County Board of Supervisors, Warren County Emergency Management and the NAACP Vicksburg Branch to host a Youth Vaccination Day this weekend.

“This is designed to offer vaccinations to a really important segment of the population, and those are our adolescents,” Warren County District 3 Supervisor Shawn Jackson said.

The free event is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25 at the Vicksburg Commons Shopping Center, 4000 South Frontage Road in what was formerly the site of the Gap Outlet Store.

“Kids and any member of their household who is eligible can come and receive their first, second or booster dose,” Jackson said.

During its Monday meeting, the board of supervisors voted to allocate up to $25,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for incentives for those who attend the event. The funds will provide a $20 gift card to a local business for all attendees at the event, and other incentives as deemed appropriate under ARPA guidelines.

Law enforcement and volunteers will be there to help direct traffic and volunteer nurses and nurses from the Warren County Health Department will be on-site administering the vaccines. The site will be a walk-up event instead of a drive-thru.

Those interested in getting a vaccine are encouraged to make an appointment by visiting www.covidvaccine.umc.edu.

If a first dose was received on or before Sept. 4, 2021, participants are more than likely eligible for and may receive a second COVID-19 dose at this event. And if a second dose was received more than 28 days ago, one may be eligible for and receive a COVID-19 booster dose.

“(By adding local gift cards) we are putting money back into the local economy,” Jackson said.

Vaccination against COVID-19 is optional for students, but the Vicksburg Warren School District strongly encourages all eligible students and their families to be vaccinated. For more information on the vaccine for your student, contact Cedric Magee, Associate Superintendent at 601-638-5122.

For children receiving a vaccine, it is not recommended they take over-the-counter medicine – such as ibuprofen, aspirin, or acetaminophen – before vaccination for the purpose of trying to prevent vaccine-related side effects. It is not known how these medications might affect how well the vaccine works. However, if a child takes these medications regularly for other reasons, they should keep taking them before getting vaccinated. It is also not recommended to take antihistamines before getting a COVID-19 vaccine to try to prevent allergic reactions. Those who have questions about medications their child is taking should talk to their child’s doctor.

To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, how to prepare your child for vaccination, and what to expect after vaccination, including information on potential vaccination side effects, visit:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/prepare-for-vaccination.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/expect/after.html/.

https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/14,0,420.html

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/vaccines