BOISE, Idaho — Editor's note: Video of the entire briefing is posted at the end of this story. The video above is a shorter report that aired during the News at Four on Nov. 9.
Health officials from Central District Health took aim at myths and misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine during a Tuesday briefing on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine for children.
The question and answer session comes after FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine was extended to children ages 5 to 11. Appointments for children to receive their first dose of the vaccine are now available across the state.
COVID-19 infections and serious outcomes are rarer in children than adults, according to CDH Medical Director Dr. Sandy Mudge, making up just 2% of coronavirus hospitalizations. However, she said, getting kids vaccinated against the illness protects them not only from COVID-19, but also from the potentially deadly complication MIS-C and potential longterm or downstream effects of the illness, as well as protecting others in the community from infection.
"We are very fortunate that this illness so far has been mild in children, but we don't know if it will stay that way, as the virus has mutated many times already," Mudge said.
Children who are immunocompromised or have underlying health issues - like cancer, obesity, diabetes, asthma, or congenital heart problems - are more at risk from COVID-19. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced Tuesday afternoon that the state had recorded its first child death from COVID-19: an infant from southwest Idaho.
The vaccine for 5 to 11-year-olds is one-third the dose given to adults and older children. Vaccination requires two doses three weeks apart, plus two more weeks to achieve full protection, meaning kids vaccinated before Thanksgiving will be fully protected by Christmas.
Children who have previously contracted COVID-19 should still get the vaccine, as long as they no longer actively showing signs of infection, Mudge said.
"We know that with a natural infection you probably have some immunity for at least three months, but after that, it seems to depend on the severity of infection and the person's characteristics themselves, so we just can't predict who is going to have ongoing natural immunity," she said.
In the clinical trials for vaccines for the 5-11 age group, Mudge said, there were no severe cases of illness and no deaths. Adverse reactions included redness or pain at the site of the injection, as well as feeling achy, tired or feverish after receiving the shot - short-term side effects experienced by vaccinated adults as well, she said.
Mudge said the reactions are caused by the participants' immune systems "ramping up" as they learn to recognize and fight off the spike proteins that would be present with a COVID-19 infection.
She encouraged anyone with questions or concerns to speak to their child's healthcare provider, but stressed that vaccination is safe and will help Idaho reach herd immunity.
"We have hundreds of millions of people who have received these vaccines. We've seen that overall, these vaccines have been quite safe and have helped decrease hospitalizations and deaths in those that are vaccinated, compared to those who are unvaccinated, which is the goal," she said. "It cannot change your DNA because it does not go to the nucleus of the cell. It cannot give you COVID-19; it doesn't contain a live virus strain. There is no egg protein or pork products or any of those kinds of concerns that people typically have - like I said, these are pretty simple, basic vaccines."
You can watch the entire briefing below.
At KTVB, we’re focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the virus. To see our full coverage, visit our coronavirus section, here: www.ktvb.com/coronavirus.
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