COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than 5 now available statewide
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — COVID-19 vaccines for children ages six months to to five years are now available statewide.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for young children can be given at the same time as other vaccines, and it is important for children to be up to date on all vaccines, said Karen Timberlake, secretary designee of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services at a media briefing on June 21.
The vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are very important to reduce serious illness and death, and pediatricians are strongly recommending the vaccine for young children, said Dr. Smriti Khare, pediatrician and chief mental and behavioral health officer with Children’s Wisconsin.
“We often hear that COVID-19 does not impact children. To be clear, it does,” Dr. Khare said.
Across the United States, 13 million children have tested positive for the disease, she said.
Among the different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the Omicron variant caused hospitalizations of children five times greater than the previous variant, so there are hospitalizations and pediatric deaths from COVID-19, Dr. Khare said.
“I often say as a pediatrician, children are supposed to be healthy, and any hospitalizations or deaths, if that can prevented, it should be prevented,” she said.
Another factor is that children can be affected by “long COVID” as well, with the various symptoms that come with long COVID, such as fatigue and headaches, and children also are being diagnosed with multi-system inflammatory syndrome as a result of having COVID-19, Dr. Khare said.
Mental health
In addition to the physical effects, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on children’s emotional well being, Dr. Khare said.
There was a mental health crisis among children before the pandemic, and since the pandemic started more than two years ago, there has been an increase across the state of children suffering from emotional and mental health issues, she said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and other organizations declared a national emergency for children’s mental health last year, Dr. Khare said.
Knowing they are protected from COVID-19 can help decrease the mental and emotional effects children are feeling because of the pandemic, Dr. Khare said.
“The pandemic is still with us,” she said.
People must continue to mitigate their risks for contracting the disease by washing their hands, wearing masks, social distancing, and staying home when they are feeling sick, Dr. Khare said.
“We have an obligation to protect ourselves and others,” she said.
To date, 48,500 doses of vaccine for children under five have been ordered, Timberlake said.
At the time of the media briefing, DHS was working on provider training, and local healthcare providers were working on their protocols, she said.
Children’s Wisconsin was expecting to start vaccinating young children the following Monday, June 27, Dr. Khare said.
Where to find
When asked about advice for parents on where to find the vaccines for their children, Timberlake said parents should check with their pediatricians or wherever they obtain their well-child care.
Parents also can check www.vaccines.gov or call 211, she said.
Healthcare systems can vaccinate children of all ages, Dr. Khare said.
Pharmacists must have a prescription from a healthcare provider for children who are three years or younger, she said.
If pharmacies are covered under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP), then they can vaccinate children ages three to five without a prescription. Children who are six years or older do not need a prescription, Dr. Khare said.
Timberlake acknowledged that not all families have pediatricians or well-child visits, and that not all families in certain areas of the state have access to the Internet to find out information.
People who do not have access to the Internet can call 211 for information, she said.
People who do not have a primary care provider can find information on the DHS website, at their local pharmacies or by contacting their local health department, Timberlake said.
Many public health departments have vaccine sites at schools, Dr. Khare said.
Health departments across the state have worked with schools to get information out to parents, she said.
Talking to children
One reporter asked how parents can talk to their children about getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
Parents can tell their children that the vaccine helps fight disease, said Dr. Khare, who added that she likes to tell children vaccines give them “super powers.”
Dr. Khare noted that when she tells children vaccines give them super powers, she also stresses that the super power from a vaccine “does not mean they can fly.”
Parents also can tell their children that by being vaccinated, they are helping others to stay safe and not be sick, such as their grandparents or elderly neighbors, Dr. Khare said.
Kids tend to be altruistic, and they want to keep their grandmothers safe, she said.
Parents can also stress to children that the vaccine will help so they can stay in school and so they can keep doing the activities they like to do, Dr. Khare said.
The National Academy of Pediatrics has a resource page at www.healthychildren.org, Timberlake said.
Statistics
As of the June 21 media briefing, 64.5 percent of Wisconsin residents have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 61.3 percent have completed the vaccination series, and 34.8 percent have received booster doses, Timberlake said.
All together, 9.5 million vaccinations have been completed along with more than two million booster doses, she said.
As of June 21, there were 1,330 new cases of COVID-19 across the state, and the seven-day average was 1,450 cases, Timberlake said.
All together, 13,100 Wisconsin residents have died from COVID-19, she said.
There are four counties with high levels of community spread, while 24 counties are at a medium level and 44 counties are at a low level, Timberlake said.
In areas where there is high community spread, it is recommended that people wear a mask or a respirator, regardless of vaccine status, she said.
People should be aware of the community level of COVID-19 when they are traveling and should plan accordingly, Timberlake said.
It is important for people to stay up to date on vaccines, to get tested, and to stay home if they are sick or have tested positive for COVID-19, she said.
