MICHIGAN, USA — New numbers out this week show 2.6 million U.S. children have received their first dose of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine, some ten days after the CDC gave the low-dose version the long-awaited green light.
13 On Your Side spoke with the White House’s vaccine coordinator, Bechara Choucair, M.D. via Zoom Thursday for perspective.
“In the first ten full days since this program has hit its full strength, we got ten-percent of kids vaccinated,” Choucair said. “It took us 50 days to get to ten-percent of adults to get their very first shot. So, we’re off to a great start.”
The White House said it hopes to build up vaccine numbers prior to holiday gatherings, where experts say cases could surge further.
If parents make an appointment this week, Choucair explained, the timetable implies reaching fully vaccinated status by Christmas.
“Look, you know, vaccinating your kid is an important decision and people take it very seriously,” he said. “That’s why we’re encouraging parents to talk to their pediatricians… ask those questions.”
MDHHS, meanwhile, fielded questions during a Thursday virtual town hall as the state’s sky-high daily totals continued to lead the nation.
“We've seen more patients in the hospital with COVID kids specifically, with both COVID infection and then multi system inflammatory syndrome in children or MIS-C within the last few months… than we really have throughout the entire rest of the pandemic,” Dr. Elizabeth Lloyd, a pediatric infectious disease expert at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital explained.
That included more children exhibiting the symptoms of so-called long COVID, which can be debilitating even if their experience with the virus itself remained relatively mild.
“The takeaway, I think, is that it’s even more important to get vaccinated now that our state’s numbers are higher. We’re heading into winter, we’re heading into the holidays.”
In Kent County, health officials told 13 On Your Side they were pleased with the level of interest they’d seen several weeks into the effort.
A vaccination clinic scheduled for this weekend remained unfilled at the time of publication.
For more information or to book an appointment, click here.
FULL INTERVIEW: White House on vaccinating children
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