MARIA: ABOUT 900,000 CHILDREN IN THE U.S. RECEIVED THEIR FIRST SHOT OF A COVID VACCINE DUNGRI THEIR FIRST WEEK OF ELIGIBILITY. WHICH IS WHAT WE SAID TO YOU BEFORE. HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS DR. SHIRA DORON, THE HOSPITAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST AT TUFTS MEDIL CENTER. HELLO, DACA. ED: GREAT TO SEE YOU. IT SOUNDS LIKE A BIG NUMBER, BUT THERE ARE 28 MILLION KIDS IN THE FIVE AND 11 IN THAT GROUP, SOT I IS A SMALLER PERCENTAGE AND WE’VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO. WHAT ARE YOU HEARING SO FAR ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS, AND SAFETY? N:BE — DR. DORON: SO FAR, SO GOOD. WHAT I’VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT, BODY ACHES AND FEVERS, IT’S WHAT WE EXPECTED AND A LOT OF KIDS ARE HANGVI NO SIDE EFFECTS AT ALL. MAA:RI ONE OF MY DEAR FRIENDS JUST, HER SON JUST HAD IT, IT’S GOOD TO HEAR. HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS 15,000 KIDS IN THE AGE GROUP GOT THERE SHOT IN THE FIRST WEEK. ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT THERE COULD BE A DROP-OFF IN THE FIRST WEEK? >> I THINK WE COULD EECXPT THAT. THAT’S WHAT WE SAW WITH ADOLESCENCE AND THE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATIOSUN EY SHOWED ONE THIRD OF PARENTS PLAN TO GET THEIR YOUNRGE CHILDREN VACCINATED RIGHT AWAY AND THE REST DON’T. ED: THAT BRINGS US TO THE NEXT POINT EXACTLY. THAT MEANS THAT TWO THIRDS ARE AT LEAST QUESTIONINGT I. PARENTS HAVE SAID THEY ARE MORE RELUCTANT TO VACCINATE YOUNGER CHILDREN THAN OLDER ONES. WHY IS THAT AND WHAT WOULD YOU WANT THEM TO KNOW? DR. DORON: I THINK THAT’S UNDERSTANDABLE. THE VACCINE STUDY FOR CHILDREN WAS SMALLER THAN THE ONEOR F ADOLESCENCE AND WE KNOW THAT YOUNGER CHILDREN ARE AT LOWER SKRI FOR SEVERE COMPLICATIONS THAN OLDER CHILDREN AND ADULTS. THERE ARE TWO THINGS TO KNOW. FIRST, THE FDA AND THE CDC REALLY EXTENSIVELY ANALYZED THE RISKS AND BENEFITS OF VACCINATINGOU YNGER CHILDREN AND THEY KEPT IN MIND THE LOW RISK OF COMPLICATIONS FOR COVID IN THEY LOOKED AT DIFFERENT POTENTIAL SCENARIOS, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE HIGHER AND LOWER RATES OF COVID IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEY ACCOUNTED FOR EFFICACY WANING OVER TEIM AND NEARLY EVERY MATHEMATICAL MODEL THEY LOOKED AT, THE BENEFITS OF VACCINATION OUTWEIGH THE RISKS, WHICH IS WHY THE CDC RECOMMENDED THE VACCINE FOR ALL CHILDREN OVER THE AGE OF FIVE AND FOR OSTHE WHO HAVE DECIDED THEY WANT TO WAIT AND SEE HOW CHILDREN FARE WITH THE CCVAINE EROV TIME, THEY DON’T NEED TO WAIT VERY LONG. IN JUST A FEW SHORT WEEKS WE WILL SEE MILLIONS OF CHIDREN GETTING THEIR SENDCO SHOT. BECAUSE THE ISSUE IS MYOCARDITIS, INFLAMMATION OF THE HEART, THAT’S THE MAIN CONCERN DAN IT HAPPENS WITHIN THE FIRST FOUR DAYS. ONCE THAT POINT PASSES AND WE SEE IT IS STILL RARE, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GO OUT GET THE SHOT. MAA:RI A QUICK QUESTION FROM AMBER, IF YOU WILL. SHE WRITES, LAST MONTH, MY DAUGHTER GOT VACCINATED FOR MEASLES, CHICKENPOX AND THE FLU. DOES HER IMMUNE SYSTEM NEED TIME TO RECOVER BEFORE GETTING A COVID SH?OT SHE’S 5-YEARS-OLD. DR. DORON: NO, KIDS GET MULTIPLE SHOTS ALL AT ONCE ALL THE TIME, THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IS AMAZING AND N CATOTALLY HANDLE

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Video: Boston doctor discusses latest data on pediatric COVID-19 vaccines

Updated: 6:14 PM EST Nov 10, 2021

About 900,000 children ages 5 to 11 in the U.S. received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during the first week of eligibility.

BOSTON —

About 900,000 children ages 5 to 11 in the U.S. received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during the first week of eligibility.

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