ACTING MAYOR DETAILS SON’S COVID BATTLE
COMPLAINING of a burning sensation in his eyes and a splitting headache, eight-year-old Ashton Pulford asked his mum to open his bedroom window. And then he started vomiting.
“He was vomiting all afternoon and right into the evening,” Jessica Cosgrove, Ashton’s mother and acting mayor of the Derwent Valley, said.
Ashton, who is on the autism spectrum and has a fear of medical procedures, is not vaccinated against Covid-19.
The St Brigid’s Catholic School student returned a positive result from a rapid antigen test last Wednesday, as did his double-dosed older brother Vincent, 13, who was asymptomatic.
“When you compare the two, Vincent’s been fully vaccinated – no symptoms whatsoever,” Ms Cosgrove said. “And Ashton, for the first 24-36 hours was quite ill.
“That could be a coincidence, but I would say that vaccination has helped Vincent show no symptoms.”
Ms Cosgrove said Ashton was booked in to receive his first vaccine dose in March.
“With Ashton’s sensory issues and whatnot, he doesn’t take illness very well,” she said. “Trying to get him vaccinated has been really hard.”
Ms Cosgrove and her family are isolating at their home at New Norfolk, which has put a halt to the Derwent Valley councillor’s campaign for the top job. A ballot to fill the vacancy for mayor closes at 2pm on Tuesday, February 22, following the resignation of former mayor Ben Shaw.
With term 1 to begin on February 9, Ms Cosgrove said her experience had filled her with concern about the spread of Covid in the classroom.
“Because the vaccination rates for children will be so low, the number that won’t be double-vaxxed will be quite high,” she said. “I don’t believe the situation is going to be ideal at all.”
Children aged 5-11 became eligible for the vaccine on January 10, and need to wait eight weeks between their first and second doses.