Newly eligible for vaccine, teens are filled with hope
More than 75,000 of them have already received at least 1 shot since young people gained access
SaiGayathri Kurup was sitting in her room last week when the email popped into her inbox.
The 16-year-old ran downstairs to tell her parents the good news: She was getting the COVID-19 vaccine. They finally could start tentatively planning their visit to India this summer.
After watching her father, an internal medicine doctor at Sinai Hospital, working on the frontlines treating coronavirus patients for more than a year, Kurup called the appointment a welcome relief.
“We’re kind of alone here in America, so it will be nice to finally get to talk with our families,” the Cockeysville teen said. “After everything that happened this year, we finally reached the point where all that development and research turned into something that can actually help us.”
Kurup is one of more than 75,000 teenagers as of Friday who have secured a shot since Maryland opened eligibility to all adults 16 and older at mass vaccination sites April 6 and then other providers April 12. Nearly 22,500 teens are considered fully vaccinated with either a second dose or the
single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Teens make up a small portion of those who have been vaccinated. In total, more than 2.6 million people across the state have received at least one dose of the vaccine and nearly 1.5 million are fully vaccinated.
The group was among the last in Maryland to become eligible, as the state’s vaccination campaign first focused on more vulnerable populations such as the elderly and immunocompromised.
Now with hospitalizations plummeting among increasingly inoculated older adults, the key to achieving herd immunity will be encouraging young people to be vaccinated quickly, experts say. According to a survey released Thursday from Morning Consult, 48% of 18- to 34-year-olds are either uncertain about getting the vaccine or don’t plan on getting it — the highest of any age group polled.
Although younger people are less likely to contract severe COVID, it’s still imperative for teens to get vaccinated to be protected from the virus for the same reasons adults should get the shot, said Dr. James Campbell, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
“Adults are starting to now finally feel like they can now see friends or family safely for the first time in over a year,” said Campbell, the principal investigator of a trial of the Moderna vaccine on children under the age of 11.
“Kids and children have been left out of that equation for a while and now we are finally able to afford some of them the same protections as adults.”
Currently only the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is authorized for people aged 16 and 17. On April 9, the companies asked the FDA to expand its use to 12- to 15-year-olds.
The Maryland Department of Health said a “standard consent form” is used at mass vaccination sites and that a parent or guardian must be present with the child to receive the vaccine.
The department said the guardian is also responsible for verifying the teen is getting the right shot.
Both of Seth Krosin’s parents and his 17-year-old sister have been fully vaccinated, but the St. Paul’s School for Boys sophomore is still two months shy of his 16th birthday, leaving him the odd one out.
“It’s definitely frustrating because a bunch of my friends from school are getting it,” Krosin said. “I just want that peace of mind that I’m safe. I understand rules are rules, but I’m just so close.”
The Pikesville teen said he’s hoping Pfizer receives its expanded approval so he can feel safer attending school in person and his family can plan a vacation knowing that everyone has been safeguarded from the virus.
Kurup, a sophomore at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, said she never
thought about forgoing the vaccine. With her dad being a doctor, she said her family has a lot of trust in science and the rigorous process a vaccine has to go through to gain federal approval.
Teachers in her science classes made it a point to talk about the vaccine’s development and worked to dispel rumors. During one class, Kurup added, students were even able to talk with researchers and ask questions about the vaccine.
Across the Baltimore region, many public and private schools are encouraging their teachers and students to be vaccinated but have not set up clinics to make the process faster.
Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Carroll and Harford counties said they have no current plans to vaccinate students.
“I would not rule it out as we want everyone eligible to get vaccinated, but we have not had any substantive discussions with the Department of Health about it,” said Bob Mosier, a spokesman for the Anne Arundel County public schools.
The same is true for many private schools. Representatives of The Park School, Roland Park Country, Mercy High School and Loyola Blakefield said they are not offering campus vaccinations.
“We are encouraging our students who are 16 years and older to get vaccinated,” said Abbey Pulcinella, a spokeswoman for the Roland Park Country School. “But [we] aren’t planning to offer vaccines on campus at this time.”
The Gilman School, however, is planning a clinic for students and “working through the details,” spokeswoman Brooke Blumberg said.
Calvert Hall College High School also organized a vaccine clinic for students.
Kaycee Voorhees, who just turned 19, said he was able to secure a vaccine through Baltimore Safe Haven, a local LGBTQ rights group, where he is a youth ambassador. After receiving a dose of Moderna, Voorhees said he finally felt comfortable finding a full-time job.
“When I have to come home from work in the public, I have to worry about bringing home COVID to my mom as we share an apartment,” the Charles Village resident said. “But now I feel like this is one step better toward normalization of society.”
Kurup said getting her shot at the Maryland state fairgrounds over the weekend was fairly simple — the only inconvenience was a backed-up line of cars to get into the venue. Between waiting in line and getting the shot, she said the whole process took about an hour-and-a-half.
The side effects were minimal, the aspiring doctor said. Just a sore arm for a few days and Kurup was more tired than usual.
“I just feel so hopeful,” she said. “I’m hopeful about what will happen within the next year. We’re finally getting toward the better part of it, and so many people are getting vaccinated.
“I just hope things go back to normal.”