Nia HeardGarris's son was delighted to learn that the Covid vaccines had been approved for adults in the US. He asked: "But what about us?" What about children?
Eight-year-old has signed up for his first shot, which will be given later in the week. He isn't afraid of needles but he cannot wait to get his first shot so that he can enjoy a more normal childhood. This means he can go to school, hang out with friends, and play sports without worrying about spreading the virus to others.
According to the CDC, more than 360,000 children younger than 12 years old have received their first shot. Last week, doses started rolling out to the 28 million children of this age.
Some parents remain unsure about vaccines. A October survey found that only 27% of parents would have their children vaccinated immediately, compared to 34% in September. The survey also revealed that 30% of parents would not vaccinate their children, compared to 24% in September.
Although vaccines are available for children 12 years and older for several months, only half have been vaccinated.
Heard-Garris is a pediatrician who is also a professor at Northwestern University and Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. She understands these concerns. A study that found the hardest hit communities were also the most resistant to the Covid vaccines for children was co-authored by Sheard-Garris. Black parents were more likely than white parents to be cautious, while families with lower incomes and public insurance were more likely to hesitate.
There were also encouraging signs in the report: Parents who received information from multiple sources about vaccines were less likely to hesitate, and nearly two-thirds of parents are concerned about the long-term effects.
Parents with lower incomes are more concerned about missing work to schedule vaccination appointments and paying for shots. They also worry about not being able to obtain the vaccine from a reliable source.
Vaccines are available for children aged 5-11 in the USA at local pharmacies and pediatricians, as well as school clinics and children's hospitals.
Heard-Garris also worries about "kids not connected to the healthcare system or a main medical home".
How can we ensure that scheduling is done when you have three jobs, but the vaccine clinic is only open from 8 to 5. Nia Heard and Garris
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, over 100,000 children were positive for Covid during the week vaccines were being rolled out to five- to eleven-year-olds. Since the outbreak, 6.5 million children have tested positive. The CDC reported 474 deaths among children aged 5-18 since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Children have been responsible for nearly one quarter of all new cases in the United States for several months. This is despite vaccines being available for children 12 years and older.
Jorge Caballero is a board-certified physician and co-founder at Coders Against Covid. He has discovered that white neighborhoods have twice the number of vaccination sites than other neighborhoods. He also said that the sites cluster in areas with greater wealth, in what he called "another round" of prioritization for white neighborhoods.
He said that while there is a lot of interest in the vaccine, access to it seems more restricted.
Caballero is concerned about children having equal access to vaccines and calls for transparency from the CDC regarding race and ethnicity of children who receive their vaccinations.
He said that these inequalities mirror past disparities regarding testing and adult vaccines. "We keep repeating the same mistakes over-and-over again. We are not taking the necessary steps to address these gaps.
Caballero stated, "All that we are striving for is equity."
Heard-Garris stated that vaccine campaigns must take into account the continuing effects of structural racism, systemic oppression and other factors.
"If you have three jobs, the vaccine clinic is only between eight and five hours a day, and you don't have the money to miss your job, how can we ensure that scheduling is available?" Can we have a clinic if they are already enrolled in an after-school program?
For example, her son's school sent an email inviting him to book appointments and to attend them, so he didn't have to leave school.
Heard-Garris stated that the pandemic had "completely disrupted not just the way of living for adults but also the lives of children - school was no longer the same, and the ability to attend birthday parties and to connect with one another has been severely disrupted." "Vaccines are essential because they save lives but also because they help to restore social-emotional connections that have been lost."
