Walensky’s decision came after the CDC’s Immunization Advisory Committee voted in favor of approving vaccines for children under 5 years of age and just one day after the Food and Drug Administration announced that it approves vaccines in case of an emergency for this age group. The decision, which many parents have been waiting for, has extended the eligibility for COVID vaccination to an additional 20 million additional children, according to the CDC. “The United States is now the first country in the world to offer safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for 6-month-olds. “For the first time in our fight against this pandemic, almost every American can have access to life-saving vaccines,” said Biden, a White House spokesman on Tuesday. To help provide guidance to parents of young children who are now eligible to receive the COVID vaccine, Yahoo News spoke with Dr. Leana Wen, professor of public health at George Washington University and author of “Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health. ”
Which COVID-19 vaccines are available for younger children and how many doses are recommended?
Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are now FDA approved and recommended by the CDC for children under 5, Wen said, but the dosage and number of doses recommended for maximum protection against COVID are different. . The Moderna vaccine consists of two doses, four weeks apart, while Pfizer’s is given as a three-shot regimen, with the first two doses given three weeks apart, followed by the third dose at least eight weeks after the second. Each dose of the Pfizer vaccine, Wen explained, is 3 micrograms, which is one tenth of the adult dose. For the Moderna vaccine, “the dose is 25 micrograms [per dose]”which is a quarter of the original adult range,” Wen said. The story goes on LVN Asia Hartford is vaccinating 1-year-old Semaye Mussie, who is being held by her mother, Lello Tesema, at Ted Watkins Park in Los Angeles on Wednesday. (Keith Birmingham / MediaNews Group / Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
Are vaccines safe and effective for young children?
“Both vaccines, in their formulations, namely three doses of Pfizer and two doses of Moderna, have been found to be safe and effective,” Wen said. In clinical trials in children aged 6 to 23 months, two doses of the Moderna vaccine were found to be 31% to 51% effective against the disease, according to Katelyn Jetelina, epidemiologist and author of a newsletter entitled “Your local epidemiologist” . For children aged 2 to 5 years, 37% to 46% efficacy was observed against the disease after two doses of Moderna, she wrote in her newsletter. Pfizer, on the other hand, reported 80.3% efficacy against the disease in children aged 6 months to 5 years after three doses. “The good news is that both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are safe,” Wen said. “There are no new side effects that have been observed and both are very effective. They produce a strong antibody response that is equal to the antibody response seen in older adolescents and adults. “Basically in other age groups,” he added.
What are the side effects and how can parents deal with them?
Wen said the side effects seen during the clinical trials were minimal, but that there are two types of reactions that can be expected, which are similar to those seen in adults. “One is local and the other is systemic,” he said. “Local reactions will include pain and redness at the injection site. “This is something that is seen in all vaccines, and therefore it should not be something new for parents,” said Wen. “Other systemic reactions will include things like fever, fatigue, generally just a feeling of malaise and some agitation,” he added. Wen said parents should be aware that these reactions are expected and normal. He advises parents to follow the CDC guidelines and avoid giving painkillers to their children before receiving the vaccine to prevent these reactions. However, he says that after vaccination it is okay to administer certain medications to manage these symptoms. “If your child has a fever, then it’s okay. “It’s very good to give them Tylenol or ibuprofen,” he said, adding that parents need to make sure they give their child the dose that is appropriate for his age and weight.
Why should parents vaccinate their children against COVID-19?
Although children are less likely than adults to become seriously ill with coronavirus, health experts say they are still vulnerable to disease and complications. According to the FDA, 442 children aged 0-4 have died from COVID since the onset of the pandemic. Hospitalization of children under 5 years of age with COVID-19 also increased during the first Omicron wave, according to the CDC. Of those in this age group who needed hospitalization, 1 in 4 needed ICU admission. In addition, more than 8,500 children have suffered from a condition called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C), which can cause inflammation of the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, eyes and other organs, according to the agency. President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greet children at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Washington, DC, on Tuesday. (Kevin Lamarck / Reuters)
Should parents vaccinate their children if they already have COVID?
More than 13.6 million children have tested positive for the virus since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Although transmission of COVID-19 can lead to some level of protection, the CDC recommends that parents vaccinate their children regardless of previous infection. “The reason is that vaccination, in addition to recovering from infection, provides a higher and more stable level of protection against infection alone,” Wen said. “This hybrid immunity offers a high level of protection,” he added. However, the CDC says that if a child is infected with COVID, their next dose may be delayed by three months from the onset of symptoms or from the date they tested positive if they had no symptoms. “This is because the chance of re-infection is low this trimester, so they could choose to wait, but they should not postpone the vaccine altogether,” Wen said.
How should parents decide which vaccine to give their children?
“I do not think there is a wrong choice here,” Wen said, adding that some pediatric offices may not have both options and many parents will choose the vaccine available to them. Some parents may prefer the Moderna vaccine, Wen said, because it is only two doses compared to the three Pfizer vaccines. “If parents start vaccinating their children now, they will be fully vaccinated by next school year,” he said. “Other parents will say there is a record with the Pfizer vaccine. “The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for months and has been given to millions of children aged 5 to 11 and they may feel more comfortable with the Pfizer vaccine for this reason.”
Where can parents get the vaccine for their young children?
Earlier this month, the Biden government outlined a plan to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to children under 5 and said they could be vaccinated at pediatricians’ offices as well as children’s hospitals, selected pharmacies and public health clinics in all over the country. The Biden government also said it has already distributed 10 million doses to states and health care providers and that about 85% of children under the age of 5 live within 5 miles of a vaccination site. “I would advise parents to call your pediatrician first,” Wen said, adding that some pharmacies may not have the vaccine available for this age group. “Other resources include the county local health department and the state health department which may also have local resources and may even set up vaccination clinics in your community,” he said.
