05/17/2021
Covid 19 Vaccine and kids
It is okay to feel some anxiety regarding giving the vaccine to you child. It has been a long year and we all have heard a lot of misinformation.
1. Is it safe?
The FDA EUA process is stringent. There are many independent committees all looking at the data separately to make their own conclusions. There are 6 months of data for 16 and up and they are applying for full approval. Millions have already gotten the Pfizer shot with no red flags including teens 16 and up. The doctors at Health Suite 110 feel very strongly that the Covid vaccine is safe for the currently approved age groups of 12 and up (and have given to our own kids).
2. Does it effect fertility?
The short answer is no. The root of this comes from a false claim from a man in England who made a claim that there is an ingredient in the Pfizer vaccine that trained a woman’s body to attack a protein that is important in the development of the placenta. If we look at how the COVID-19 vaccine works, it teaches our bodies to attack the COVID virus’s spike protein. The COVID-19 vaccine teaches our bodies how to attack those spikes and get immunity without ever having to see the actual virus.
The man from England claims there is a protein that looks like those coronavirus spikes in the placenta. He argues that getting the COVID-19 vaccine would cause our body to attack the placenta just as if it attacks the coronavirus spikes and then cause fertility issues. The two proteins look nothing alike and do not act the same way.
There is no impact on hormones or puberty timing. There can be short-term period changes, not unexpected with the uterus an immune responsive organ. However, there are no long term period changes.
3. Does it effect prepubertal kids differently?
We have no reason to believe these vaccines will impact puberty. They do not affect hormone levels or change timing of puberty. No other vaccines we give during the pre-teen years affect puberty either.
4. Is it effective ?
In the age range of 12-15 year olds, the Pfizer shot had 100% efficacy! The vaccinated kids had incredible antibody responses even exceeding the 16 and up age group. This means a better immune response!
5. What are the side effects?
The side effects are fever, chills, fatigue, and muscle aches – which are normal and tell us that the immune response is working and the shot is working! The side effects are well tolerated. It would be appropriate to recognize that kids may not feel 100% after the shot so time it so that they don’t take it before a final or another important event.
6. Why do the shot if kids are tolerating Covid so well? (NOTE THIS IS A BIG ONE)
In reality, more than 3 million kids have been infected with Covid. There have been deaths and over 200,000 hospitalizations. As adults are being vaccinated, the demographic of people hospitalized are dying from Covid-19 is shifting to a younger population. Additionally, the predominant variant in the US is B.1.17 which is more contagious in all groups, including children.
Also of note is that the Covid shot may prevent severe Covid and MIS-C. Although rare, unfortunately, there are kids who get very sick. We don’t necessarily know why some kids get so much sicker than others. Therefore, the numbers really are irrelevant if it is your child!
Long haul Covid does exist in kids – sometimes even in patients who were asymptomatic. We are seeing patients with report of trouble breathing, fatigue, and focus issues. Being vaccinated will prevent the chance of long haul symptoms.
7. Why do the shot in kids if adults are being vaccinated?
We will only reach herd immunity (70-85% of population fully vaccinated) if we vaccinate kids as well. Those under 18 make up a quarter of the US population.
Kids can still catch the virus and transmit even asymptomatically. Silent transmission is a risk to everyone.
Therefore, our only hope is to give the vaccine to everyone who is of age.
Final thoughts – The pandemic has taken a huge mental toll on kids. Vaccinated kids can enjoy their summer and return to school without nearly as much anxiety and fear. The toll these kids have experienced extends to education, social skills, mental health, and it has changed trajectories of lives. This is our chance to get back to a sense of normalcy. Additionally, the greater good of our community, including immunocompromised individuals is dependent on all of us doing our part to protect one another. This is an important step in protecting one another. We are happy to answer more questions if any come up, but we will recommend the Covid vaccine for anyone of age to receive it.
Thanks to Arch Pediatrics in St. Louis for the bulk of information in this post.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Vannaman . . . her son receiving his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
