Many parents look forward to vaccination of their children | News, sports, work

Dr. Alejandro Hoberman, president of UPMC Children’s Community Pediatrics, was filmed at a press conference in Pittsburgh on Friday.Submitted photo

According to a panel of doctors presented at a press conference in Pittsburgh, UPMC is ready to provide vaccines to some of the youngest patients. And many local parents are trying to get a vaccine for their children.

Dr. Alejandro Hoberman, president of UPMC Children’s Community Pediatrics, has a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 here, and the hospital system “Preparation.”

“We have a lot of experience with this vaccine in adults and adolescents.” Hoberman said. “It was thoroughly studied in infants, and it showed the same results: it is safe and effective, and it will save lives. In the United States, 6.5 million cases in children of all ages. COVID has resulted in a total of 750 deaths. There are (although) nearly 2 million cases of children aged 5 to 11 years. More than 8,300 children are hospitalized and more than 5,000. The child had multisystem inflammatory syndrome. “

According to Hoberman, children can have serious consequences with COVID-19 and can also infect vulnerable family members and community members at risk of serious consequences.

“750 — Some might say that the rate is low, but in my eyes, 750 is too much.” He said. “Each one was a child who lost a long future and left behind those who loved them. This is now a vaccine-preventable disease such as measles and polio, and many other diseases that affect children. We need to understand that, as a society, we must protect our children, and vaccines can do this. “

Carter Girio, 8, was vaccinated at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington with the addition of service dog Bernie of Hero Dogs and then performed a band-aid at the injection site. The United States has entered a new phase of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, allowing millions of elementary school students to inject. AP photo

Hoverman said the vaccinations began on the same day as soon as the children were vaccinated. He added that over 10,000 vaccine reservations are already planned.

“Most of the COVID-19 vaccine is given in our pediatric clinic.” He said. “This is because families and children are comfortable in these offices. Vaccination is what we do as pediatricians. Our pediatricians have parents about the COVID-19 vaccine. Answer all the questions you have. “

Parents share their thoughts

When asked about the newly available Pfizer vaccine, local parents and guardians provided a variety of answers. Some were categorically opposed to vaccines for children, while others were categorically opposed.

“When I told Parker that the vaccine had run out, he smiled bigger than I saw him smiling for a long time.” Jamestown’s parent Liz Witherspoon said. “He said he couldn’t wait. His anxiety about COVID was terrible and this vaccine provided him with relief.”

The Witherspoon family recently had a terrifying encounter with the COVID-19 virus. Her daughter tested positive during the summer and was treated at the Oishay Children’s Hospital in Buffalo.

Local parent Payge Olson said he had already planned a vaccine for his daughter.

“Working as a state contact tracer for most of the year is particularly striking now.” Olson said. “Just in the western region, we have an average of about 1,000 contacts per week (low estimates), most of them school-aged children. Our children are absent from many schools and I continue to be absent from school due to quarantine regulations in place to mitigate the epidemic. To attend school, I need to be vaccinated against many other infectious diseases, with the exception of the COVID vaccine. Not. As someone with significantly weakened immunity, when my daughter brings the virus home, she and I will probably be killed because of immune system problems. Why someone’s family dies from the virus? I don’t want to have a simple vaccination as. We have already lost a lot. “

Local residents Alisha Perry said children are likely to be vaccinated.

“I’d like to do a little more research, but I don’t think it’s any different from getting the flu vaccine every year.” She said. “But I believe parents should make the decision, not the state.”

Shavonne Kruszynski, her family “High risk” And they have been waiting for the vaccine for months.

“After Joe and I received it, we started talking to the children’s doctors to see what was the best behaviour.” Kruszynski said. “One of their experts said it for us — people at high risk of receiving COVID usually develop long-distance symptoms and those who are vaccinated We report known short-term symptoms, but usually get over them in a few days, so vaccines make the most sense given the high-risk ages 6 and 1. Experts have told us that this makes no difference if we do all the other vaccinations. “

Julie Flaker said her child is not yet five years old, but she plans to pursue COVID-19 vaccination when he is present.

“We vaccinate many other illnesses and blunt or avoid them altogether. I not only keep him safe, but also in his career to other vulnerable people in his family and community. I will definitely continue to prevent it from becoming. “ Flaker said.

Maria Malmstorm said she supported her children being vaccinated because she said her family was not vaccinated. “I want to take any risk with this and the terrible consequences it may cause.”

“I also want to get rid of this virus in the same way that I treat smallpox and polio (measles was good along the way). I don’t want to be a spreader to others.” Malmström said. “It’s our responsibility.”

Tory Irgang said he enrolled his child in the vaccine as soon as possible.

“I want to protect her so that her life can return to normal.” Ilgang said.

Local parent and resident Toni Dan said his son is 11 years old and will let him decide whether to vaccinate.

“Whether he wants is absolutely his choice.” Dan said. “But he tested positive for COVID yesterday, so he confirms his vaccine choice.”

Some parents are uncertain

Another local parent, Liz Aiken, said she believes that there is not enough research on vaccines for infants and the long-term risks they face.

“There is solid data to support that children are not at statistically high risk of developing serious illness.” Aiken said. “Of course, there are outliers. There are outliers for all illnesses in all age groups. I want to potentially protect children from something that has been proven to have less negative effects on them. In addition, we do not intend to treat children with unknown side effects. Vaccines from other countries have not been shown to slow their spread … Therefore, having them take vaccines to protect other countries is an issue. Yes, it is invalid at this time. Therefore, the only reason to get them to accept it is for personal protection, in which case their risk is very low. It has been proven. I am a family group. We have done a thorough risk and benefit analysis for, and that is the conclusion I have drawn based on the data available and our situation.

Jami Raymond she “100%” Against the COVID-19 vaccine for her child.

“My kids have been in a pandemic for two years, basically living a normal life.” Raymond said. “My 7-year-old kid knew there was one mask and is now forced to wear it at school. I wish my mother could do something about it. I think. Homeschooling is not an option in our case. My 5 year old kid is failing school and hates school because of the mask. What is my 3 year old kid? You don’t have to know what’s going on. I’ve never forced you to wear a mask in public. I feel (they) my kids, and I’m on their bodies You have to choose what goes in. Oh (by the way) my kids are happy and perfectly healthy people! They only have seasonal allergies. “