Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 to be available this week

The Haines EOC hosted a community information session with Alaska state health officials Monday to discuss the COVID vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 years old, and answer questions from the public. KHNS’ Corinne Smith reports.

 

The newly approved COVID vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 is offered by the Pfizer brand, and administered in a two dose series, just like the adult dose.  

Dr Michelle Nace is a pediatrician with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. She explained in a community presentation on Monday evening that the vaccine for adults is 30 micrograms. 

“And the testing was done with children between five and 11 for 10 micrograms, so that’s 1/3 of the dose,” Dr Nace said. “And so the volume is smaller, that is the pediatric dose. It is not based on a child’s weight. It’s based on a child’s age because we don’t weigh their immune system, their immune system is by age.”

Dr Nace says that means children turning 12 will be eligible for the larger adult dose, based on their immune system development. 

“So whether it’s a big 11 year old, you would still be on the same 11 year old dose or a small 12 year old you would give the 12 year old dose. One of the questions you get is what if you got your first dose at 11 and then you turned 12? You would give the dose whatever the age of the child was right as the needle was going into their arm, so they would change doses if they did age up,” she said.

The second dose of the vaccine should be received three weeks after the first shot. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second shot. 

Dr Nace emphasized that the vaccine prevents severe COVID illness and hospitalization for adults and children alike, and prevents spread throughout a child’s family.

“They’re effective in preventing and keeping people out of the hospital, severe illness and death. And they’re safe,” she said. “They’re safe, they’re under monitor, they’re under continued watch 400 million immunizations have been given here in the United States. And vaccines are not only to check the individual but for the community as well. That obligation when we vaccinate a child, we don’t just protect that child, we protect the child’s family.”

The current recommendation for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is to get a booster after six months, and for the Johnson & Johnson after two months. The CDC has now authorized boosters for all vaccines, with mixed dosing allowed. Those who are immunocompromised, for example, with cancer or HIV, may be eligible for an additional booster. 

Dr Nace explained that the vaccine is like a set of instructions emailed to immune system, and it does not stay and linger in the body.

“That instruction set is like an email, the immune system gets the email, they read the instructions, and then they delete the email. So just like the mRNA goes out of your body just like an email that you delete,” Dr Nace said. “And with those instructions, the immune system is able to make antibodies to fight against a part of a virus. So should that virus come by again, they would recognize it and be able to attack it before it causes serious damage to your body.”

A member of the public asked about enhanced immunity from breakthrough COVID-19, as there were many breakthrough cases seen in Haines during the outbreak in August. Dr Nace replied that it’s recommended to get the booster after six months, regardless if you’ve had COVID already.

“So the time you don’t want to get your booster is while you’re still in your isolation period, and that 10 days, otherwise, you get it timed up from when your last vaccination was,” she said.

“So if it says six months after, even though you had COVID in between, you would still go from when your last vaccination was. That’s when you would do it. Do you probably have some bolstered immunity from being immunized, plus getting COVID in addition, yeah, you probably do, because it’s different ways in which to form your immunity. But the recommendation is go by when you got your actual vaccinations,” Dr Nace said.

Dr Jocasta Olp is a clinical pharmacist and the COVID Clinical Healthy and Equitable Communities Coordinator with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. She added that the newly authorized vaccine for children is being closely monitored by the Food and Drug Administration for any safety concerns, and overall it’s been shown to be highly effective.

“The numbers that were originally released from the CDC, around the children and their recommendations were 91% effective in this age range in the five to 11 group for preventing infection. So that goes a long way,” Dr Olp said. 

Officials in Health say it’s still too soon to have comprehensive data on the risk of long COVID in children, and time will allow more research and deeper understanding of why and how it occurs. But they say the best method is prevention, and the vaccine offers protection from severe illness and further spread of COVID-19.

The Haines SEARHC clinic is scheduling appointments for the COVID vaccine for ages 5 to 11. Shots will start to be administered this Thursday, and continue to be scheduled as part of the vaccine clinics on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Parents and/or guardians can pre-register their children at covid19.searhc.org. It’s not currently offered at the Klukwan SEARHC clinic, so residents will have to schedule an appointment in Haines. Skagway’s Dahl Memorial Clinic is also scheduling appointments for the near future.