Admin
Nov 3, 20211 min
Updated: Nov 10, 2021
As you may have heard, the CDC followed the FDA to approve the Pfizer vaccine for children 5-11 year old, as did the NY governor. https://www.comirnaty.com/authorized-use
We finally received our first shipment and are taking appointments requests; the vaccine can be given at the same time as a flu shot, but please confirm with us if the time slot still works, since the Covid vaccine has to be delivered in groups of 10 patients...
A great review was recently published (11/9/2021) in the WSJ: Should you Vaccinate your 5 Year Old?
Key points:
Minimal interval between dose 1 and 2 is three weeks, but studies show that efficacy and reduction of side effects is actually better with longer interval, like 5-8 weeks.
Efficacy in children is very high to actually prevent the illness --not just to prevent hospitalization and death, which is the efficacy criteria used for adults!
Side Effects: The dose for children 5-11 is a third of the dose given to adolescents and adults, and limited side effects are possible but benign and transient. The rare and self-resolving heart inflammation --myocarditis in particular -- which has been seen in some young male adults and adolescents is really rare indeed, and recovers fully, as compared to the long-term heart damage risk following a Covid infection, at a rate 40 times higher.
Please review the Vaccine Information Sheet provided here by the CDC before deciding to bring your child to a vaccination site: http://labeling.pfizer.com/ShowLabeling.aspxid=16074&format=pdf