Children ages 5 to 11 are getting vaccinated against COVID-19 countywide now that federal and state regulatory agencies have approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for emergency use in that age group.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health gave the green light for dispensing of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for young children this week and the County began administering shots on Thursday.
To get your child or yourself vaccinated, make an appointment at MyTurn.Ca.Gov or vaccines.gov. You may also contact your child’s medical care provider directly to determine if they are offering the vaccine. Pharmacies and clinics near you may also be offering vaccines for children. It is always best to check with the provider in advance to determine whether the vaccine is available at your venue of choice.
While many parents are anxiously awaiting vaccines for their children, many others remain hesitant of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Dr. Sharon Wang, an infectious disease physician at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, was one of the first people in San Bernardino County to get vaccinated in December 2020.
Wang understands why parents would be hesitant to get their children vaccinated because there is so much conflicting information about the vaccines. But she wants to reassure parents that the vaccines are safe.
We asked Dr. Wang the most frequently asked questions we hear from parents:
Vaccines were rushed and may not be safe for children.
While COVID-19 vaccines were developed rapidly, all steps have been taken to ensure their safety and effectiveness. COVID-19 vaccines were developed using science that has been around for decades. COVID-19 vaccines are not experimental. They went through all the required stages of clinical trials. Extensive testing and monitoring have shown that these vaccines are safe and effective.
Kids don’t get COVID-19 and if they do, it’s mild. Young people don’t need to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Although COVID-19 in children is sometimes milder than in adults, some kids infected with the coronavirus can get severe lung infections, become very sick and require hospitalization. This is especially important to remember in light of the Delta variant, which is more contagious than other coronavirus variants.
The COVID-19 vaccine will impact future fertility.
You may be worried the vaccine could potentially impact your child’s future fertility, but the research shows that the vaccine does not negatively impact pregnancy outcomes. There is currently no evidence that antibodies made following COVID-19 vaccination or that vaccine ingredients would cause any problems with becoming pregnant now or in the future.
My child could have a serious allergic reaction to the vaccine.
The vaccine’s safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children age 5 through 11 who received the vaccine and no serious side effects have been detected in the ongoing study.
The current COVID-19 vaccines don’t protect against the COVID-19 variants.
The COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States are highly effective at preventing severe disease and death, including against the Delta variant.
For more information on the COVID-19 vaccines for children of all ages, please visit sbcovid19.com/pediatric or discuss the vaccines with your medical provider.
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