Providers prepping to vax youth
South Florida awaits federal OK to give Pfizer vaccinations to those 12 and older
Children ages 12 and up across South Florida could start getting Pfizer’s COVID19 vaccine in the coming days, as soon as the federal government gives the OK.
Hospital systems say they’ve begun preparing to vaccinate younger patients. And health officials hope that extending vaccinations to kids will lower the number of infections nationwide, as well as prepare schoolchildren to return to class safely in the fall, given that some school districts don’t plan to offer remote learning later this year.
The participating hospitals include Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale; Memorial Healthcare System, with campuses in Hollywood, Miramar and Pembroke Pines; and Jackson Health System in Miami. As early as this upcoming week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize the Pfizer vaccine for youngsters ages 12 to 15. It is already approved for ages 16 and older.
Jodi Scher-Gast, of Hollywood,
already had her 16-year-old son vaccinated, and next is her 12-year-old son, who is in the seventh grade. She said it will be a feeling of relief for the whole family.
“We also plan on flying in July,” she said. “So it’s nice to know that will be a safe flight for him.”
Vaccinating teens
While children rarely get seriously ill from the coronavirus, they can still get sick and spread it to others. In Florida, since the start of the pandemic, 7% of COVID-19 cases have been among 5- to 14-year-olds. Of that number, 614 were hospitalized and five have died, according to the Department of Health.
Pfizer in March released preliminary results from a study of 2,260 U.S. volunteers ages 12 to 15, showing there were no cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated children compared with 18 among those given dummy shots.
Holy Cross said it is readying to vaccinate younger teens ages 12 to 15 at its
COVID Vaccine Center at 4701 N. Federal Highway, Building C. Signup information was not immediately available, but will be updated at www.holy-cross.com/ covidvaccine.
A spokeswoman for Memorial Regional Hospital said signup information will be available through its website, www.mhs.net.
And Jackson Health will take appointments through its online portal at www. JacksonHealth.org. UHealth Jackson Children’s Care will administer the vaccine to children between the ages of 12 and 18 at various locations across the county seven days a week. All patients will require proof of age, such as birth certificate, passport, driver’s license, or state ID card. Patients under 18 must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian.
Plans still taking shape
Other vaccine providers might not be joining in this latest round: Broward Health stopped first-dose vaccines on April 23 and said Thursday it has no immediate plans to resume vaccinations.
Cleveland Clinic, which is still vaccinating adults, said information about beginning vaccines for younger children at its Weston campus wasn’t available, but vaccinations ages 12 and up would begin at its Treasure Coast hospitals.
CVS, which participates in vaccines through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, is not committing yet for younger children. “Currently, we’re focused on administering vaccines for those 16-plus,” said a spokeswoman.
Pfizer expects to apply to the FDA in September for emergency authorization to administer its coronavirus vaccine to children between the ages of 2 and 11.
As the age of who is eligible to get a vaccine continues to drop, it’s unlikely Broward’s drive-thru sites at the county parks will offer vaccinations for children.
“Drive-thru sites might not be the most appropriate thing to do,” Dr. Paula Thaqi, director of the Florida Department of Health in Broward, told county mayors during a conference call Thursday morning.
Pop-up sites might be a better option, she told the mayors.