The Youth and the COVID Vaccine

By Nolan Tetrault

JRN-100 Staff Writer

With recent research showing COVID vaccinations are safe for young children, pediatricians are recommending parents vaccinate their kids. Children from the ages of 5 to 11 can now receive the vaccine. The vaccine became eligible for these children on November 2, 2021.

Pediatrician Paula Kue, a primary care doctor trained in internal medicine and pediatrics from Brigham Health in South Weymouth said that parents have had a lot of questions since the CDC announced that children ages 5 to 11 are eligible to receive the shots.

“Trust me, we get all the calls about side effects to shots and all the stories about why individuals feel they do not need vaccines. But we are confident of the value in vaccines because we see firsthand the risks of disease without prior vaccination,” Kue said.

Studies have shown COVID can be dangerous to children as well as adults.

“COVID 19 causes a high risk of severe disease to some and includes long-term detrimental syndromes to some as well. For children, this can include days missed from school, heart muscle inflammation and pain, shortness of breath and fatigue and (multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children,” said Kue.

Doctors have studies to back up these claims about children getting the vaccine. In a recent study by Pfizer titled, "Pfizer and BioNTech Announce Positive Topline Results from Pivotal Trial of COVID-19 Vaccine in Children 5 to 11 Years", 2,268 participants from the ages of 5 to 11 received child-sized vaccines, approximately one-third of the dose that adults and teenagers receive. According to Pfizer, the immune systems of children between 5 and 11 responded well to the vaccine and began building productive antibodies to fight the virus.

Participants between ages 16 and 25 acted as the control group for the study.

The young children that had received the second dose, one month after the first dose, had very strong immune responses with minimal side effects.

“Children have very active immune systems and so a small dose is needed to develop a response. A 5- year-old and an 11- year-old have similar immune activity so the dose is sufficient for this range of ages. The research submitted by Pfizer revealed the side effects and safety were also acceptable in this age group at this dose,” Kue said.

Kue said that some parents struggle with the decision to vaccinate their young children for several reasons. Some wonder whether it is necessary since children seem to contract COVID less often than adults while others still worry about the side effects.

Keri A. Moore, a mother of four children between the ages of 6 and 11 from Norton, Massachusetts, said that she will have her oldest son, Greyson Moore, vaccinated. However, she is hesitant about having her 8-year-old son and 6-year-old son receive the vaccine.

“I will have Greyson vaccinated first as he is the oldest and see how he reacts to the vaccine before I have my other children vaccinated. I am hesitant about my 6- and 8-year-old healthy sons, who have no underlying health issues since they are on the younger end of the recommended ages for the vaccine and the vaccine is so new. I will not get them all vaccinated together but will wait to see how my oldest reacts to the vaccine,” Moore said.

“Parents are tasked with making the best decisions for the well-being of their children. It is a weighty task and parents are often overwhelmed by the best choice for their precious child. If that child has a negative experience with the vaccine or worse a complication like myocarditis, the guilt is a heavy burden. Further, there is a distrust toward vaccines exacerbated by social media postings that are often unfounded. It is easier to hold an anti- vaccine stance when you have not personally witnessed the disease,” said Kue.

Kue said parents have the right to be hesitant when deciding whether or not to get their child vaccinated. Information on social media and television has been creating confusion and distrust.

Kue said that parents must make the crucial decision whether they feel the vaccine is safe for their children to take. Many would like to wait and see how others react to the vaccine, like in Moore’s situation.

Moore also said that her doctor is recommending that her children receive the vaccine and that they are recommending the vaccine to other patients as well.

“My doctor is all for the vaccine. He feels it is safe and important for children to get it. My pediatrician’s office is conducting COVID vaccine clinics. He also respects parents’ own decisions on how they vaccinate their children but strongly suggests they vaccinate,” Moore said.

Doctors and researchers said that in order to minimize the spread of COVID, children should all eventually be vaccinated at some point.

Pfizer is getting the vaccine prepared for children under the age of 5 and it could be ready to use within the next couple of months. Studies are being conducted by scientists and researchers to see what the lowest age is for a child to be eligible to receive the vaccine. As of now, it is looking like the lowest age will be 6 months. So, children under the age of 5 will soon be able to get the vaccine in the United States.

Many countries in Europe have already begun distributing vaccines for children to get. These countries include Denmark, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Greece, and many more countries in Europe. Many countries in Asia, such as China, are hoping to have the vaccine eligible for their children by December, while Japan is aiming for February. Israel, Oman and Saudi Arabia have approved Pfizer's shot for children as young as the age of 5 already.

                                Greyson Moore (11), responds to why he wants to get the COVID vaccine.