NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Children as young as five years old can now receive coronavirus vaccinations, and local officials say plans are underway to start delivering the shots.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke to a group of kids and adults at the Barclays Center about the state’s vaccination efforts.
“Anybody who gets a vaccine is really a superhero to me,” she said.
Hochul said the state is prepared to administer shots to children, even at their schools.
“So far, 60% of all the schools of New York school districts have said that they’re willing to do the vaccinations on site. So it makes it easier for families,” she said.
Last week, the New Jersey health department said it’s ready too, with vaccines being sent to sites, including primary care doctors and pharmacies.
“We will be prepared to vaccinate younger children. There are 760,000 5 to 11-year-olds in New Jersey. We have pre-ordered 205,000 doses of pediatric Pfizer,” said Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli.
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Kid-size doses of the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine cleared two final hurdles late Tuesday — a recommendation from CDC advisors, and approval from Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC. Walsneky insisted the risks are very real for kids and young people who get COVID.
“There have been 745 deaths in children less than 18, and 94 deaths in children age 5 to 11 since the start of this pandemic,” she said.
President Joe Biden called the decision a turning point and said his office has secured enough vaccine supply for every child in America.
“It will allow parents to end months of anxious worrying about their kids, and reduce the extent to which children spread the virus to others,” he said.
In a large clinical trial, the vaccine was nearly 91% effective.
Almost three out of 10 parents of 5 to 11-year-olds surveyed said they are eager for their child to get the shots, but a third said they will definitely not get their child vaccinated.
Local parents shared their questions with CBS2’s Dr. Max Gomez. Some wanted to know why an 11-year-old gets one third of a dose when a 12-year-old gets a full dose, asking if it should be based on weight, not age.
“Using weight would work on the assumption that a large 9-year-old has the same immune system as a small 13-year-old. That’s generally not the case. The 9-year-old’s organ systems, including the immune system, are just not as mature as a 12, 13 or 14-year old,” said Gomez.
As for vaccinating children younger than five, Pfizer says it expects to have the results from that research before the end of the year.
from CBS New York https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2021/11/03/covid-vaccines-for-kids/
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