Kids getting the COVID-19 vaccine.Photo: Getty
More than 360,000 kids aged 5 to 11have already received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccinein the first five days since the Centers for Disease Controlformally authorized Pfizer’s vaccine for use.
Last Wednesday, the CDC cleared a smaller dose of Pfizer’s vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds and inoculations started across the country the next day. In New York City, public schools had lines around the block of parents lined up to get their kids vaccinated and many ran out of doses,according to NBC 4. In Washington, D.C., people waited hours for the vaccine, hoping to protect their kids after months of waiting.
“We have been anxious to get them shots from the beginning,” Jude Bien-Aimé, the dad of an 8-year-old and two 10-year-old boys,toldThe Washington Post.
As more kids get vaccinated, the CDC said they will update their vaccination charts to include a section for the vaccination rate in the population aged 5 and up — currently, the youngest they have is for those aged 12 and up.
8-year-old Carter Giglio after getting his first dose at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.Children’s National Hospital
But while there is a large portion of parents who immediately went out to get their kids vaccinated,recent pollinghas found that around one-third are hesitant, and another third do not intend to vaccinate their kids. Some parents feel that it isn’t necessary for the young age group to get inoculated given they are less likely to develop a severe illness from COVID-19, but experts have warned that they can still have adverse outcomes, or pass the virus on to others.
Plus, she adds, “it’s also important to know that MIS-C, the severe post-COVID illness seen in children, is most common in this age group.”
Clinical trials for the vaccine found that there were no adverse side effects in kids aged 5 to 11, and that it was more than 90% effective in preventing even mild symptoms of COVID-19.
“I know that this is an incredibly safe vaccine that has saved lives, decreases illness, and once fully vaccinated will allow my kindergartner to have an extra layer of protection to keep her safe in school and when out in the world,” Murray, the mom of 5- and 12-year-old daughters, says. “I wouldn’t recommend vaccinating your children if I wasn’t comfortable vaccinating my own.”
As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
source: people.com
