NC ramping up efforts to get younger children the COVID vaccine, Cohen says
Dr. Mandy Cohen urged parents Wednesday to get their young children vaccinated, seeking to assure parents that the vaccine now available for kids is safe and doesn’t lead to any “serious side effects.”
On Nov. 2, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that children ages 5 to 11 get the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer, which became available to approximately 28 million kids nationwide in that age group.
As of Nov. 10, more than 24,000 North Carolina children ages 5 to 11 have received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, said Cohen, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. She spoke at a media briefing on COVID-19 alongside Dr. Charlene Wong, DHHS’ Assistant Secretary for Children and Families.
When Cohen was asked whether the percentage of children getting the vaccine should be higher, she said the vaccination drive for younger kids is in its early days and would ramp up. She introduced a public service announcement where she talked about why she had her own young children vaccinated.
DHHS is also setting up nine family COVID vaccination centers in historically underserved communities across the state that will offer doses to people of all ages, including children ages 5 to 11, as well as booster shots of all three vaccines. The centers will operate over the next six weeks and will offer Spanish-language interpretation, Cohen said.
The centers are open to walk-ins but families should still call ahead to confirm hours, the health department advises.
Nationally, the White House reported about 900,000 children ages 5 to 11 have received the first dose of the vaccine, according to The Associated Press.
While visiting a vaccine clinic for children in Chapel Hill last week, Gov. Roy Cooper said getting children vaccinated is “the responsible thing to do.”
Cohen said Wednesday that the approval of the Pfizer vaccine for younger children was “fantastic news” and while young kids who contract the virus tend to experience less severe illness than adults, they can still experience longer term health effects.
More younger children were hospitalized during the surge in COVID cases fueled by the more contagious delta variant this summer, Cohen said. Across the country, there was a 200% increase in pediatric cases of the virus, she added.
All of this shows the importance to vaccinate eligible children immediately, Cohen said.
The Pfizer vaccine being administered to younger kids underwent a “thorough” review process and clinical trials, some of which took place in North Carolina, Cohen said.
The dose given to children ages 5 to 11 is approximately a third of the amount given to adults, and according to clinical trial data, still protects kids from serious illness.
There are no “safety concerns of serious side effects,” Cohen said. She said she got her own daughters, Evelyn and Sophie, vaccinated as soon as shots became available last week.
“We love our kids so much, and we want to make good decisions for them and their health,” Cohen said.
Her daughters didn’t have any side effects, but she said officials understand “every kid is different” and some children may experience temporary side effects like arm soreness or headaches.
Vaccination locations will need to carry the smaller dose of the Pfizer vaccine for younger kids to get their shots, but there are more than 800 locations statewide that administer vaccines for children ages 5 to 11, according to the N.C. health department. Parents can find the location nearest to them at covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines.
What is NC’s target for child vaccinations?
Earlier in the year, North Carolina and federal officials offered specific targets for how many adults needed to get vaccinated in order to have broad, wide-reaching immunity. The figure often suggested was around 70%.
Wednesday, Cohen was asked what percentage of children ages 5 to 11 officials officials hope to vaccinate. She responded that officials “want to get as many of our kids vaccinated as possible.”
Cohen said the target of around 70% was suggested back in the spring before the rapid spread of the delta variant this summer, and that at this stage, it is harder to pinpoint an exact number.
“I don’t think we know exactly what the right number is, in terms of everyone being vaccinated.” Cohen said. “We see we need to have a very high level of immunity amongst everyone in order to really see this COVID become something we can live with.”
Who should get a COVID booster shot?
Cohen addressed booster shots and emphasized that anyone vaccinated with the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine should get a booster shot.
This follows federal guidelines from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that says those who receive the J&J shot are eligible for a booster shot two months after their vaccination with either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine.
“So, Johnson & Johnson — everyone should get a booster,” said Cohen, who received the one-shot vaccine herself and has since gotten a booster with the Moderna vaccine.
For those who got the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, Cohen said a booster shot can be given six months after being fully vaccinated. This recommendation remains now for people over 65 with underlying medical conditions or individuals who bear a higher risk of COVID-19 exposure, due to a job or their personal life. But Pfizer-BioNTech is seeking emergency use authorization from the FDA to administer the vaccine to anyone 18 and older.
Federal health officials have said a mix-and-match between brands of an initial vaccine and a booster shot is safe.
The Pfizer and Moderna shots operate very similarly and are “pretty equivalent” to generate an immune defense against the virus, Cohen said.
This story was originally published November 10, 2021 at 2:06 PM.
