By Moira Szilagyi
"Dr. Szilagyi, I really worry about when I will be able to get my daughter vaccinated."
As a pediatrician, I hear this often from parents whose children are too young to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Children under five years are not yet eligible for the vaccine, which leaves many families feeling anxious and adrift.
One of the unique challenges of pediatric care is that we bear witness to parents' distress, to their fear for their children, to the overwhelming stressors created by this virus ― an invisible, evolving threat to our families and ourselves. The uncertainty that the pandemic has wrought undermines our sense of safety and theirs. Parents can feel helpless to protect their children, and so they turn to us.
In mid-January, new COVID-19 cases among children in the U.S. surpassed 1 million in a single week for the first time since the American Academy of Pediatrics began tracking cases. Fortunately, we now are seeing cases slowly falling, but when a child comes home from school after testing positive for COVID-19, it sets off a wave of panic for many parents who have children under age five. For those with children who have underlying health conditions, COVID is even more unsettling.
So, the news that Pfizer and BioNTech have requested emergency use authorization for their COVID-19 vaccine for children ages six months to five years is hopeful news for families. For too long, many families of children in this age group have felt left out as they struggle with balancing safety, jobs, child care, and early education. They worry about their child's social emotional development and overall well-being. And yes, they are also concerned about the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine for their little ones.
Pediatricians are eager to provide protection for our patients and we will continue to follow the science and evidence wherever it leads for this age group. The AAP, CDC, and others will carefully examine the data for the vaccine for those under five as it's reviewed next week during an FDA vaccine committee meeting.
The hard truth is that we need more people to get the vaccine to help slow the spread of a virus that has killed 900,000 people in the U.S.
The pandemic has dragged on for two years. We all are tired and frustrated. But this virus and its variants are not done with us just yet. This is a familiar story, but one with great promise.
Many of us now take for granted that polio is no longer a scourge in our nation, but it took a huge public-health effort and many years to eliminate it. The widespread use of Dr. Jonas Salk's groundbreaking vaccine began in 1955, and the oral polio vaccine was introduced in the 1960s, making vaccination even easier. But it wasn't until 1979 that the U.S. could successfully declare it had no longer recorded a case originating here.
When we pull together, we succeed.
What we know so far about the vaccine in older children, adolescents and adults is that it's very effective at preventing the worst harms of the disease, including hospitalizations and deaths. Vaccinating as many people as possible also helps to reduce transmission ― including to more vulnerable people like grandparents and those with immune-compromising conditions. Vaccines help protect teachers who valiantly show up every day at their schools, doctors and nurses treating sick people, and the child care workers who take care of kids so their parents can work.
These front-line workers are worn out and stressed out. Working to stop this virus can help them enormously. Getting vaccinated is a crucial step in protecting ourselves and our children.
As has been the case throughout the pandemic, the AAP welcomes another step forward in offering a lifesaving vaccine once we are satisfied that the process of testing the vaccines has been rigorous and followed established protocols.
We all have a part to play in ending the pandemic. Wear a mask when around others, get vaccinated, and talk with your pediatrician about the vaccine for your children. Also, please be kind to health care workers, the cashiers at the grocery store, the receptionist at your dentist's office, bus drivers, mail carriers and everyone else who's trying to get through this rough time.
Let's pull together.
Dr. Moira Szilagyi is a pediatrician and the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. This editorial was distributed by Tribune Content Agency.
"Dr. Szilagyi, I really worry about when I will be able to get my daughter vaccinated."
As a pediatrician, I hear this often from parents whose children are too young to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Children under five years are not yet eligible for the vaccine, which leaves many families feeling anxious and adrift.
One of the unique challenges of pediatric care is that we bear witness to parents' distress, to their fear for their children, to the overwhelming stressors created by this virus ― an invisible, evolving threat to our families and ourselves. The uncertainty that the pandemic has wrought undermines our sense of safety and theirs. Parents can feel helpless to protect their children, and so they turn to us.
In mid-January, new COVID-19 cases among children in the U.S. surpassed 1 million in a single week for the first time since the American Academy of Pediatrics began tracking cases. Fortunately, we now are seeing cases slowly falling, but when a child comes home from school after testing positive for COVID-19, it sets off a wave of panic for many parents who have children under age five. For those with children who have underlying health conditions, COVID is even more unsettling.
So, the news that Pfizer and BioNTech have requested emergency use authorization for their COVID-19 vaccine for children ages six months to five years is hopeful news for families. For too long, many families of children in this age group have felt left out as they struggle with balancing safety, jobs, child care, and early education. They worry about their child's social emotional development and overall well-being. And yes, they are also concerned about the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine for their little ones.
Pediatricians are eager to provide protection for our patients and we will continue to follow the science and evidence wherever it leads for this age group. The AAP, CDC, and others will carefully examine the data for the vaccine for those under five as it's reviewed next week during an FDA vaccine committee meeting.
The hard truth is that we need more people to get the vaccine to help slow the spread of a virus that has killed 900,000 people in the U.S.
The pandemic has dragged on for two years. We all are tired and frustrated. But this virus and its variants are not done with us just yet. This is a familiar story, but one with great promise.
Many of us now take for granted that polio is no longer a scourge in our nation, but it took a huge public-health effort and many years to eliminate it. The widespread use of Dr. Jonas Salk's groundbreaking vaccine began in 1955, and the oral polio vaccine was introduced in the 1960s, making vaccination even easier. But it wasn't until 1979 that the U.S. could successfully declare it had no longer recorded a case originating here.
When we pull together, we succeed.
What we know so far about the vaccine in older children, adolescents and adults is that it's very effective at preventing the worst harms of the disease, including hospitalizations and deaths. Vaccinating as many people as possible also helps to reduce transmission ― including to more vulnerable people like grandparents and those with immune-compromising conditions. Vaccines help protect teachers who valiantly show up every day at their schools, doctors and nurses treating sick people, and the child care workers who take care of kids so their parents can work.
These front-line workers are worn out and stressed out. Working to stop this virus can help them enormously. Getting vaccinated is a crucial step in protecting ourselves and our children.
As has been the case throughout the pandemic, the AAP welcomes another step forward in offering a lifesaving vaccine once we are satisfied that the process of testing the vaccines has been rigorous and followed established protocols.
We all have a part to play in ending the pandemic. Wear a mask when around others, get vaccinated, and talk with your pediatrician about the vaccine for your children. Also, please be kind to health care workers, the cashiers at the grocery store, the receptionist at your dentist's office, bus drivers, mail carriers and everyone else who's trying to get through this rough time.
Let's pull together.
Dr. Moira Szilagyi is a pediatrician and the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. This editorial was distributed by Tribune Content Agency.
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