Over the next several weeks, dozens of vaccine clinics for children will be offered across the state. For parents and guardians of children between the ages of 5 and 11 years old, who recently became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in late October, there will be a number of locations and dates to choose from.

These clinics were organized with the help of the Rhode Island Department of Health, according to Public Relations Officer Joseph Wendelken, but are being run and operated by the schools and vaccinators.

“We are working closely with schools and with the primary care community throughout Rhode Island,” Wendelken said, and to date about a quarter of the 80,000 children living in the Ocean State have already received their first vaccine dose. “This continued education and engagement has helped us get our coverage rates up in other age groups among children.”

A prime example of this is the high percentage of first dose vaccinations among older teens. According to the most recent data from the Rhode Island Department of Health, 70 percent of teens between the ages of 15 and 18 are at least partially vaccinated. The vast majority of those teens have already returned for their second dose, with 65 percent of teens in this age group having completed their primary vaccine series.

Apart from the 15-year-olds in this age group, those 16 years old and older have been eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine since April.

Fifty-one percent of those between the ages of 10 and 14 years old are at least partially vaccinated, according to data from the Rhode Island Department of Health, though half of the young Rhode Islanders in this age group have been eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine since May.

For those 9 years old and younger, however, that percentage drops even lower. Only 10 percent, about 10,912 children, are at least partially vaccinated.

As of last Tuesday, and since becoming eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine,18,270 doses have been administered to Rhode Islanders between the ages of 5 and 11, according to the governor’s press secretary, Alana O’Hare.

The dozens of clinics that will be offered at schools across the state through December and into January, at locations like Pilgrim High School in Warwick, Park View Middle School in Cranston, and dozens of other sites. These clinics will only be open to those between the ages of 5 to 11, children from any city, town or school district will be welcomed at each site.

Although the Rhode Island Department of Health does not have any statistics broken down by school district, they do have a breakdown of vaccine status by age group and municipality. In cities like Warwick, Cranston and Providence, partial vaccination rates among the youngest age grouping, those between 0 and 24, hovers around 45 percent.

The full vaccination rates among adults in these same municipalities, especially those 65 and older, hover above 90 percent.

According to the Rhode Island Department of Health, there are 133,075 eligible Rhode Islanders, about 13 percent of the state’s population, with an unknown vaccine status. And there are roughly 60,000 children between the ages of 5 to 11 who have not been vaccinated yet, according to Wendelken.

Although the Rhode Island Department of Health still has a ways to go before reaching its goal of 100 percent vaccine coverage among eligible residents, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the Ocean State continues to be ranked second in the nation for the percentage of its population that’s fully vaccinated.

Last week, Rhode Island earned another notable ranking. According to WalletHub Rhode Island is heading into the holiday season as one of the top three safest states in the nation.

The ranking, released last Tuesday, pinned Rhode Island as the third safest state in the nation based on metrics including vaccination rate, positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.

“We are constantly monitoring our statewide data, but to be recognized nationally proves we are staying on the right track and becoming a model for economic recovery and improved public health,” Gov. Dan McKee said in response to the WalletHub ranking. “It is clear that high vaccination rates are tied to less serious illness and to greater economic recovery confidence.”

Rhode Island also ranked among the top five states with the lowest positive testing rate.

To find upcoming kids vaccination clinics visit www.covid.ri.gov.