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More Kids Need COVID Vaccine Shots
It took Anne Hamilton weeks to find a site to vaccinate her children Katie and Jimmy. They found a pop-up clinic at Obregon Park run by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
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Courtesy of Anne Hamilton
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Topline:
Pediatricians are concerned children are not getting vaccinated quickly enough, as the fall respiratory virus season looms.
What's the rush? “When you look at hospitalization rates for COVID, with the exception of the 65 and older, the second highest risk group is children under five years old,” said Orange County pediatrician Eric Ball. “We have a lot of children right now that are under five years old who have not received any COVID vaccines and therefore are completely unprotected going into our winter season.”
What shots can they get? There’s two options for kids 6 months and older. The Moderna vaccine requires two doses at least a month apart. The Pfizer vaccine involves three doses spread out over three months. That means a child getting their first Pfizer shot now won’t be fully vaccinated until late January, but Ball says some protection is much better than nothing.
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My pediatrician doesn't have COVID shots. What should I do? Ask your pediatrician where they’re sending other patients to be vaccinated. Call your primary care provider to see if they can make pediatric doses available at their office. Get vaccinated yourself. Having the adults around them vaccinated against COVID can help protect children from infection.
The backstory: Having trouble finding the pediatric COVID shot? It's not just you.
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