A Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine could be coming as soon as Tuesday night for children 5 to 11 years old, depending on when the Centers for Disease Control gives the final go-ahead.
One Vermont group has wholeheartedly urged parents to get their kids vaccinated: pediatricians. At a press conference Tuesday, Dr. Rebeca Bell, president of the Vermont chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said its members are “so excited” for children to get the opportunity to be protected.
“We unequivocally recommend this vaccine for every Vermont child age eligible,” she said. “We believe the benefit of this vaccine will provide protection for every Vermont child.”
How vaccines help children
Bell outlined the research and approval process that backs up the safety of the Pfizer vaccine for children. The vaccine has been tested on thousands of children in controlled clinical trials, which found that children are not at risk of severe complications from the vaccine, and get minor side effects at about the same rate as adults.
The Food and Drug Administration reviewed that trial and recommended approving the vaccine. Now, the CDC is doing its own review of the research and is expected to give final authorization of the vaccine in the next few days.
Bell pointed out that not only do clinical trials reveal the effectiveness and safety of the Pfizer vaccine, millions of Americans have received it, including more than 12 million adolescents 12 and older.
Dr. Mark Levine, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health, said recent CDC research has shown that adults who have gotten the vaccine were not at risk of dying from it.
Meanwhile, a Covid infection would pose a significant risk to children, Bell said. Pediatricians are worried about the long-term effects of Covid on children’s lungs, their risk of long Covid and the rare but serious inflammatory syndrome seen in children.
“There’s always some degree of uncertainty in every choice we make, but the degree of uncertainty can vary widely,” she said. “It’s important for us to convey where the greatest magnitude of uncertainty lies in a decision. And in this case, it is without a doubt with the virus.”
Gov. Phil Scott said another benefit of the vaccine is that it limits the need for students to quarantine if they come into close contact with a person who has Covid, allowing them to stay in school.
“We know from recent experience how important in-person instruction is for our kids,” he said. “And by getting them vaccinated, you’re not only reducing their chance of getting Covid, but you’re taking an important step to keep them in school, improving their education and all the social and mental health benefits that come along with it.”
Bell encouraged parents with questions to reach out to their pediatrician or doctor to learn more about the vaccine. The Vermont pediatrics academy is also hosting virtual family forums with local pediatricians throughout November and December.
Conversations about Covid-19 vaccines for children will be held from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. via Zoom on the following dates:
- Monday, Nov. 8, with Leah Costello, M.D. (South Burlington) -— Click here for Zoom link
- Wednesday, Nov. 10, with Elizabeth Richards, M.D. (Brattleboro) — Click here for Zoom link
- Tuesday, Nov. 16, with Josh Kantrowitz, M.D. (St. Johnsbury) — Click here for Zoom link
- Thursday, Nov. 18, with Ashley Miller, M.D. (South Royalton) — Click here for Zoom link
- Monday, Nov. 22, with Colleen Moran, M.D. (Lamoille County) — Click here for Zoom link
- Tuesday, Dec. 2, with Tracy Tyson, M.D. (St. Albans) — Click here for Zoom link
Bell plans to have her own 6-year-old child vaccinated, and said that will help not only that child, but also her 4-year-old child who is too young to be eligible for the vaccine.
“Pediatricians like to say that we would never make a recommendation for an intervention that we wouldn’t take ourselves or or give to our own children,” she said. “This Covid vaccine is no different.”
How to get the vaccine for your child
Scott said if the vaccine is approved Tuesday night, the state plans to open registration for the vaccine at 8 a.m. Wednesday on the Health Department website.
The plan is to open state-run clinics immediately, and vaccines at pediatricians’ offices should be available by mid-November, Bell said.
[Read more: What to expect from the youth vaccine rollout in Vermont]
Mike Smith, secretary of the Agency of Human Services, said the state encouraged registration, but some walk-in appointments may be available depending on the individual pharmacy.
Smith said the state is also planning to hold 96 clinics covering 112 schools across a six-week period, with the goal to get as many shots in arms as possible before the holidays.
He said the state would receive more than 23,000 child-specific Pfizer doses by the end of this week, which should help to cover the 44,000 children who are newly eligible.
Adults should also consider getting a Covid booster shot if they haven’t already, Smith said. Anyone 18 and older can get their third shot if they are six months past their Pfizer or Moderna doses, or get their second shot if they are two months past their Johnson & Johnson dose.
The latest numbers
The vaccine for 5-to-11-year-olds comes at a time when that age group is one of the most affected groups in the Delta surge.
Children in that age range have a much higher Covid case rate than adults, and a higher rate than children under 4 or over 11 years old, according to data from the Department of Financial Regulation.
In general, the latest Covid data is mixed. Cases are down 8% from 14 days ago, but up 12% in the past seven days, said Mike Pieciak, commissioner of the financial regulation department.
Pieciak said the latest Covid trajectory suggests that deaths should decline in the coming weeks, but not all forecast models share the same predictions about the future of the state’s fatalities.
Cases in the Northeast Kingdom, the hardest-hit part of Vermont during the Delta surge, have dropped slightly in the past week, Pieciak said. Its Covid rate remains the highest of any region in the state.
The Department of Health reported 168 new Covid cases Tuesday, with a seven-day rolling average of 216 cases per day. Forty-nine people are currently hospitalized with the virus, including 14 in intensive care units.
The department disclosed one new death in its data, for a total of 369 people who have died since the beginning of the pandemic.
