About 200 doses of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine were distributed to children ages 5 to 11 at Cape Girardeau Central Middle School on Thursday during a clinic aided by the Cape Girardeau School District, Broadway Pharmacy, John's Pharmacy and the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center.

"It felt like stepping on a sharp lego," Beau Andrews, 11, said after he received his first dose. He said he thought it would hurt more than it actually did.

Vaccinators were handing out snacks and candy to the children, giving them high- fives and saying encouraging phrases such as, "Good job."

Leona Wissnann, 6, said she is excited to see her grandparents and to not wear a mask. When asked whether the pinch feeling from the vaccination was worth it, she said yes. Her mother, Brooke Jaynes, said she has more peace of mind knowing Leona will be fully vaccinated. She said she won't be worried her daughter might have the coronavirus every time she feels sick.

John's Pharmacy was one of the first places in the region to receive and distribute vaccines to children ages 5 to 11 when they were approved by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month.

Jayce Lewis, 7, who was nervous about the needle, talks to John's Pharmacy pharmacist Abe Funk, right, and Broadway Pharmacy employee Julie Schoolfield before receiving his first COVID vaccine dose during a clinic Thursday at Cape Girardeau Central Middle School.Sarah Yenesel

Abe Funk, pharmacist from John's Pharmacy, said many parents and children getting vaccinated have told him they are excited to have better peace of mind when spending time with family members during the upcoming holiday season.

According to the Missouri COVID Vaccine Dashboard, 2,011 children ages 5 to 17 in Cape Girardeau County have initiated the vaccine and 1,670 have received two doses.

Cape Girardeau School District communications director, Kristin Tallent, said this is one of multiple clinics to occur at Cape Girardeau schools. She said she hopes to make the school district's clinics accessible and as easy as possible, and she anticipates clinics at the elementary schools soon.