CORONAVIRUS

Children get their COVID-19 shots across the commonwealth following CDC approval

Brian Myszkowski
Pocono Record

Just a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use authorization among children ages five to 11, hospitals across the commonwealth jumped into action to get more kids covered against COVID-19.

Pfizer’s pediatric vaccine for COVID-19, which is one-third of an adult dose, was cleared by the CDC for use in younger students on Tuesday. According to the government agency, this expands vaccine eligibility to about 28 million Americans, offering protection against the virus and further prevention of its spread throughout communities across Pennsylvania and beyond.

At St. Luke’s West End Medical Center in Allentown, 10 children from five families — each of whom include a medical professional parent — came together Wednesday afternoon as the first of their age range to get their shots in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Kara Mascitti, a pediatrician who brought her 9-year-old son, August, to get his vaccination, said she was thrilled at the opportunity, and noted that expanding the age range would benefit the entire community.

“We know that COVID-19 generally causes mild disease in children, but we know that a small number have been hospitalized and even have died," she said. "And we know that kids can be a reservoir of infection in the community. So I think this is a really important next step to trying to get rid of COVID in our community, and protect everybody, including kids and adults.”

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August, who offered some good-natured quips following his inoculation — informing the crowd at the hospital that “it’s spelled V-A-C-C-I-N-E, not V-A-C-I-N-E,” and “it’s not poisonous like five of them were saying at lunch” — did offer some offer some blunt advice for his fellow students.

“They shouldn’t be afraid to get it, because this is what everybody says: They say that something is going to happen, it’s going to hurt really bad, they don’t really want it in the first place. I’d say just get it anyway,” said Mascitti, who noted that the vaccine felt like a “crab pinch.”

Patrick McAtee, who brought his daughters Caitlin, 10, and Emily, 7, to get their vaccinations, said that he was thankful to be able to get the girls protected against the virus.

“It's a huge relief,” McAtee said. “We've been waiting for this for a very long time, and so there was no hesitation; like we didn't really have to have a long discussion about whether or not we were in favor of it. So, now that it's here, it's a big relief.”

Caitlin McAtee said that “it didn’t really hurt that much,” and that she anticipated telling friends at school that she had received her vaccine.

Dr. Jennifer A. Janco, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at St. Luke’s, said that getting 5 to 11-year-olds vaccinated would be an integral part of reestablishing a sense of normality to a group that has had their world turned upside down during the pandemic.

“When children are fully vaccinated, and there is an exposure, whether that's in school or outside of school, and they don't have any symptoms, a fully vaccinated child with no symptoms does not need to quarantine from school,” Janco said. “So they can safely stay in school and do their activities, which I think is really important. Last year, many children missed school and fell behind, and that lack of routine kind of really had some negative effects on them.”

Mascitti also noted that she was excited to see protection against the virus expand to younger children, pointing out that August was ready to break free from social restriction as well.

“He really is excited to go to Kalahari (Resort) and have friends sleep over his house and things like that; just to kind of give them their normal childhood back,” Mascitti said.

On top of that, Janco said vaccinating younger children will reduce the chance for spread among school populations overall, preventing opportunities for the virus to mutate and cause further damage.

Janco noted that with the holiday season rapidly approaching, it is an ideal time to arrange for a first dose. By the time the young patient receives their follow-up and allows time for the vaccine to set in, the winter season — complete with winter celebrations and big gatherings — will be in full swing.

“So that means if you look at the calendar, you look at five weeks, you can go into the holiday season with a fully protected 5- to 11-year-old,” Janson said.

Encouraging response to vaccine approval

At a Department of Health event in Scranton on Thursday, Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said that the response to the vaccine approval for younger children has been particularly encouraging.

“It is exciting to see parents lining up to get their children vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus that caused this pandemic,” Beam said. “Here in Scranton and across the state kids are already getting vaccinated less than 48 hours after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) approval.” 

Beam also noted the DOH is working alongside vaccine providers across the commonwealth to ensure availability in every community.

“By the end of this week Pennsylvania vaccine providers, including pediatricians, primary care physicians, family doctors, pharmacies, federally qualified health centers and grocery stores, will have more than 414,000 doses of the pediatric vaccine,” Beam said. “The CDC tells us they will be ramping up deliveries directly to the providers in the coming days and weeks.”

The eagerly-anticipated approval to administer COVID-19 vaccinations to younger children could not come soon enough according to many medical professionals.

Following the onset of the delta variant, hospitalizations for COVID-19 in children increased fivefold across the country as compared to last year at the same time, and case counts in the same age range elevated more than ten times the rates seen in 2020.

Physicians have been particularly concerned about young children contracting “MIS-C (inflammatory syndromes) and long-term complications, such as ‘long COVID,’ in which symptoms can linger for months,’” the CDC stated in a release issued Tuesday.

“Together, with science leading the charge, we have taken another important step forward in our nation’s fight against the virus that causes COVID-19,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky said. “We know millions of parents are eager to get their children vaccinated and with this decision, we now have recommended that about 28 million children receive a COVID-19 vaccine. As a mom, I encourage parents with questions to talk to their pediatrician, school nurse or local pharmacist to learn more about the vaccine and the importance of getting their children vaccinated.”

Parents can arrange appointments for their children to get vaccinated at a St. Luke’s facility — which will be only be administer at particular child-friendly spots through MyChart.

Other Pennsylvania hospitals are also offering the vaccines for children as well, including Lehigh Valley Health Network, Geisinger, and more. Appointments can be arranged via patient portals or by phone.

The DOH has also advised parents to reach out to their child's pediatrician or a local pharmacy for vaccinations as well.

— Brian Myszkowski covers the COVID-19 pandemic in northeastern Pennsylvania and is based at the Pocono Record. He can be reached at bmyszkowski@poconorecord.com.