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Clinical Update
COVID-19 Vaccine for Children 5-11 years
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) have met on October 26 for more than 8 hours discussing the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 years old and have voted to recommend it for this age group with 17-0 and one abstention.[1],[2]
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has not yet made a recommendation on vaccinating this age group.[3] The CDC’s (ACIP) is scheduled to meet on November 2nd and 3rd, 2021 to discuss this.[4]
What should parents need to know? – from Experts at Johns Hopkins University[5]
In an article by Vicky Hallett, she discussed questions that parents are concerned about with Dr. Kawsar Talaat, board certified pediatrician and associate professor in the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of International Health.5 Below are parts of that question and answer article. For more details of the article that includes a YouTube Video and a Podcast interview, visit this link: https://hub.jhu.edu/2021/10/26/covid-19-vaccines-5-and-up/
Why should my child get vaccinated?
It's true that COVID-19 is more of a threat to adults than to kids, says Kawsar Talaat, a board-certified pediatrician and associate professor in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Department of International Health. But the delta variant surge has led to millions of child infections, and unfortunately, many hospitalizations. In September alone, 41 children died of COVID-19 in the United States. "That's 41 deaths too many," she says.
Gigi Gronvall, senior scholar at the Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School, notes that COVID-19 is one of the 10 leading causes of death of children, and a third of those hospitalized had no preexisting conditions that made them more susceptible to illness. And because the virus continues to circulate, the risks of being exposed remain high. "Your child is going to bump into it at some point," she says.
Vaccinated kids will be less likely to get infected, which means schools can operate in-person without as much need for quarantines, Talaat adds. "It will also protect people who are vulnerable in our communities," she explains, including younger children and anyone who is immunocompromised.
What kind of vaccine will my child receive?
The Pfizer vaccine expected to get the green light next week is the same vaccine that millions of adults and teens around the world have already safely received. "But children aren't little adults and we can't give them the same dosage," Talaat explains. Instead, kids will get a dose that's 10 micrograms, a third the size of the adult dose.
Pfizer data released by the FDA last week showed that in its clinical trial, the vaccine was 90.7% effective at preventing symptomatic illness in children. That's comparable to the full 30-microgram dose that children 12 and up received, Gronvall says.
On Monday, Moderna said on that its COVID-19 vaccine generated a strong immune response in children ages 6 to 11 and that it plans to submit the data to global regulators soon. But it's unclear if and when U.S. regulators will take action—Moderna is still awaiting a response to its June application to authorize the use of the vaccine in children between the ages of 12 and 17.
There's no way to know the exact timeline, notes Gronvall. "And the data we have from Pfizer is that it's over 90 percent effective," she says. "It's hard to believe it makes sense to wait."
How hard is it going to be to get an appointment?
For adults, the vaccine rollout had to happen in waves because there initially wasn't enough supply to accommodate everyone who wanted. That won't be true for children, explains Talaat, who says there are 28 million children between the ages of 5 and 11 in the country and 28 million doses of vaccine already prepared for them. "It will be available to all kids 5 to 11, regardless of preexisting history, just as it was for adolescents," Talaat says.
There's a push to get the vaccine directly to pediatricians, so families can make appointments at their doctor's offices. "This will potentially leave out some kids who don't have regular doctors they go to," notes Talaat, which is why there will also likely be clinics at schools and pharmacies to ensure that all kids have access. More details on distribution are forthcoming.
What kind of side effects should my child expect?
Results from the clinical trial showed few side effects for kids beyond pain at the injection site and tiredness, Gronvall says. Don't worry about your child needing to take a day off from school—or a parent needing to take that same day off of work, she adds. "I wouldn't let my kid stay home from school for a sore arm," Gronvall says. But maybe don't schedule the shot right before your kid has a big soccer game or another strenuous activity planned.
In very rare cases, there could be additional side effects, such as heart inflammation. The lingering effects of COVID-19 could be far worse, warns Gronvall, who points to a growing body of research on the neurological implications of the virus. "I worry about developing brains," she says.
For more details of the article that includes a YouTube Video and a Podcast interview, visit this link: https://hub.jhu.edu/2021/10/26/covid-19-vaccines-5-and-up/
Dental Clinic in November – CANCELLED!
We are sorry to announce that the Mobile Dental Clinic scheduled for November will be cancelled. We needed about 40-60 people to register in both offices, and we only had 8. Hopefully we can schedule another one together with a community event next time.
[1] FDA VRBPAC. October 26, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laaL0_xKmmA
[2] KCRA. October 26, 2021. https://www.kcra.com/article/fda-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-young-kids/38064218#
[3] CDC. October 25, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/planning/children.html
[4] Pediatric COVID-19 Operational Planning Guide. (n.d.) https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/downloads/Pediatric-Planning-Guide.pdf
[5] Johns Hopkins University HUB. October 26, 2021. https://hub.jhu.edu/2021/10/26/covid-19-vaccines-5-and-up/
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