Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Rush For Appointments Is On For Parents Eager To Vaccinate Kids
AP: Eager Parents Rush To Get Kids Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccines
In the hours after the COVID-19 vaccine was formally approved for use in younger children Tuesday, social media pages lit up with eager parents seeking appointments for their grade-schoolers. So on Wednesday morning, it didn’t take long for some parents in the Boise region to figure out that a couple of health care providers were already accepting appointments. “My kids are scheduled for Walgreens on Saturday,” one parent wrote on a Facebook page for local parents of school children. (Boone, 11/3)
CNN: Parents Express Relief As Children 5-11 Begin Receiving Covid-19 Vaccine
Nine-year-old Parson Harrington had to isolate more than most during this pandemic -- and the lung transplant recipient hopes the Covid-19 vaccine she received in Houston on Wednesday is her ticket to relief and freedom. Parson is one of numerous children ages 5-11 who lined up for a dose around the country on the first full day that kids in this age group were eligible in the US after the CDC gave its endorsement Tuesday. (Hanna, 11/4)
AP: Roll Up Your Sleeves: Kids' Turn Arrives For COVID-19 Shots
At a Decatur, Georgia, pediatrician’s office, 10-year-old Mackenzie Olson took off her black leather jacket and rolled up her sleeve as her mother looked on. “I see my friends but not the way I want to. I want to hug them, play games with them that we don’t normally get to,” and have a pillow fight with her best friend, Mackenzie said after getting her shot at the Children’s Medical Group site. With the federal government promising enough vaccine to protect the nation’s 28 million kids in this age group, pediatricians’ offices and hospitals began inoculating children. Schools, pharmacies and other locations plan to follow suit in the days ahead. (Tanner, 11/3)
USA Today: Young Children Start Receiving COVID Vaccines In California, Michigan
Young children began receiving COVID-19 vaccines Wednesday in what was a moment of joy not only for their parents but the kids themselves. The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, a group of immunization and public health scientists from California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, concluded that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is safe and effective for children aged 5 to 11 on Wednesday. The workgroup's decision reinforces the FDA's authorization of the vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds, and officially allowed California to start vaccinating young children. “This expanded eligibility for lifesaving vaccines moves us closer to ending the pandemic, which has taken a heavy toll on the well-being of our kids," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. (Schnell, 11/4)
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Charleston Gazette-Mail: WV Officials Hoping For Strong Rollout Of Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine
Hoping to encourage a strong rollout for COVID-19 vaccinations for 5- to 11-year-olds, Wednesday’s West Virginia COVID-19 briefing telecast featured Dr. Jessica McColley, of Cabin Creek Health Center, giving a shot to her 7-year-old son. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday gave authorization for pediatric doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and James Hoyer, state interagency task force director, said Monday the government had secured 50,000 doses for distribution as soon as the CDC approval was finalized. (Kabler, 11/3)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Philadelphia-Area Pediatricians Are Ready To Give Young Kids Their COVID-19 Shots, But Staff Shortages Loom
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia announced Wednesday that it will open 10 vaccine clinics in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, a day after the government gave final clearance to Pfizer’s two-dose COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. The CDC estimates there are 28 million children in the United States in that age group, and Philadelphia health officials say there’s no time to lose in this critical step toward a return to normalcy. Yet smaller patients require a different approach that has an already-strained health care workforce scrambling. Young children will receive a smaller dose with smaller needles and, in many cases, will have appointments at clinics and offices dedicated to pediatric care — separate from the clinics many health systems are already running for adults and children age 12 and older. (Gantz, 11/3)
USA Today: CVS, Walgreens Open COVID Vaccine Appointment For Kids
The country's largest pharmacies, Walgreens and CVS, are already accepting online appointments for children 5 to 11 to get the COVID-19 vaccine following the CDC's sign-off Tuesday night of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the age group. Walgreens will begin administering the pediatric doses at thousands of stores nationwide starting Saturday. The first vaccine shipments are scheduled to arrive at some Walgreens locations this week, the company said Wednesday. CVS will begin administering the vaccine this weekend, spokesperson Joe Goode told USA TODAY. (Ortiz, Miller and Fernando, 11/3)
CNN: Now That Your Younger Child Can Get A Covid-19 Vaccine, Here's How To Be Fully Vaccinated By Christmas And Kwanzaa
Families are getting an early gift this holiday season: the chance to protect their children between the ages of 5 and 11 against Covid-19 through vaccination. For many, the winter holidays mean gathering with family and friends from near and far to share meals and quality time, situations that can quickly lead to the spread of Covid-19 -- especially for those who are unvaccinated. (Holcombe, 11/3)
