Dr. John Love, medical director of infectious disease at Butler Health System, holds his 18-month-old son, James McKenery-Love, while registered nurse Maureen Gray administers a dose of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine clinic for children between 6 months and 5 years old was conducted Saturday at Butler Memorial Hospital. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle

Butler Memorial Hospital saw more than two dozen appointments Saturday for its first clinic to vaccinate children between 6 months and 5 years old against COVID-19. Included among the parents bringing their children to be vaccinated were two of the hospital’s doctors.

Karen Gagen, Butler Health System’s vaccination coordinator, said 25 patients were scheduled for the hospital’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic for younger children, which was 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Saturday’s clinic was the hospital system’s first effort to vaccinate children between those ages, Gagen said, but will not be the last. Another first-dose clinic at BMH is scheduled July 30, and vaccines will be available at Clarion Hospital in the interim.

Gagen said Butler Health System is also working on getting the vaccines to pediatricians at a later date but added there is no estimated date for that yet.

Through BHS, according to Gagen, children will receive the Moderna mRNA-based vaccination, which received emergency approval for use in children between 6 months and 5 years old in mid-June.

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Eagle photographer Joseph Ressler contributed to this report.