Children Under 5 May Soon Be Eligible For COVID Vaccine
LADERA RANCH (CBSLA) - While both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines are now fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration, COVID vaccines for children remain under an "emergency use authorization" except for those under 5-years-old, though that could soon change.
Ladera Ranch mother Caitlin Buchanan has a newborn and a 2-year-old. She said she won't hesitate to get the COVID vaccine for her daughter, Marley, as soon as it's available, which doctors said may be several weeks away.
"We became first time parents during the pandemic, and so it's been a very challenging time to navigate what is best for our children. We're looking forward to having something that has been researched and something that will protect the children moving forward," Buchanan said.
Clinical trials on little kids are underway on a two-dose vaccine and a three-dose shot. The goal is to prevent severe disease.
Dr. Kate Williamson, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Orange County, recommends getting the vaccine as soon as it's out in order to prevent serious illness.
"They can also have long-term side effects, so this can be long-hauler syndrome where they have chronic fatigue, muscle aches, mental health issues, and in younger kids, we're seeing multi-inflammatory syndrome in children called MISC, which can happen anywhere from days to a month after the virus," Dr. Williamson said.
Families will be able to get the shots at their pediatricians office.
"The majority of the kids who we are seeing in our office now with COVID are those who are unvaccinated, which the majority of them are younger kids. So, I can't wait for them to be able to be protected. It will really, really be a game changer as far as moving forward from this pandemic," said. Dr. Eric Ball, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Orange County.
The Orange County chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics will host a parent webinar Wednesday evening on the vaccine, which will also be interpreted in Spanish. For details on how to register for the webinar, follow this link.