Children soon eligible for Covid vaccine; adults encouraged to take booster shots
Covid-19 vaccinations for children ages 5 to 11 are expected to be approved soon by the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to St. Francis County Health Officer Dr. James T. Meredith.
"The full FDA and CDC have not come out with their recommendations but they should over the next few days," said Meredith. "Probably as early as next week, children five and up will be able to get the Pfizer vaccine. That is the only one currently being approved, but Moderna also has their own data they are submitting too."
Pfizer's request to roll out the vaccinations cleared a FDA panel recently for backing but the FDA has yet to formally authorize the vaccine. The vaccination also has to be reviewed by the CDC before the shots can be distributed.
"The children's dose is smaller than the adult dose," said Meredith, who added he is not aware of any pharmacy or physician in the county to receive the smaller dose yet. "It is my understanding that the vials even have different colored caps so you cannot mix the child dose with the adult dose. I don't know when it will be fully approved, but I think the government has a stockpile of it ready to ship out."
Meredith said that when the county normally requests vaccinations they usually get sent overnight packed in dry ice to keep them cold.
"We get it immediately," said Meredith. "We get it and in a few days time we will be able to give them out. I am sure the pharmacies will probably be geared up to give more vaccines than the physicians and clinics do."
Meredith said those seeking the approved boosters should wait six months after their second shot of Pzfier or Moderna or six months after their one dose of Johnson & Johnson.
"It is allowed now to mix and match if necessary," said Meredith of the boosters if necessary to stay fully vaccinated. "In other words, if you initially took the first two doses of Pzfier, then six months later it is ok to get Moderna. It is not widely recommended, but it is okay to do that."
Meredith said the booster is normally half a dose of the original shot, although those with underlying health conditions, such as lung disease or those who are immune compromised due to cancer treatments, should consult with their physicians as to whether or not they should consider a higher dose of the booster.
"It is mostly people who are on medication for cancer such as chemotherapy, or infusions for rheumatoid arthritis, those kinds of things that knock down your immunity," said Meredith. "Those people need a full dose instead of a half dose."
Meredith adds those 65 and older are probably okay with the half dose but everyone who has concerns should have those discussions with their physicians.
"If they have those underlying conditions, such as lung disease or heart conditions, I am more liberal and would give them the full dose," said Meredith. "You need to talk to your doctor about it.
"Studies are showing we are getting a robust response with the boosters," he continued. "Until we get everybody vaccinated, I think it is a good idea to get a booster if you are eligible for it."
Meredith encourages residents to call the St. Francis County Health Unit if their physicians did not have vaccinations available or if they did not have a doctor. "Or contact your local pharmacies. They are more than happy to give those vaccinations when available," he said.
He also encourages residents to get a flu shot. "Last year we had a really mild flu season," he said.
"It has been suggested this year may be bad."
Meredith said residents older than 65 should ask about a high-dose flu vaccination.
"It is much more potent than the flu shot those under 65 get," said Meredith. "The CDC is recommending you do not get both your flu and Covid vaccination at the same time. That is mostly because if you have a reaction we will not know which the reaction is. I will try to spread them out over a couple of weeks."