On November 24, Southlake held a COVID-19 Vaccine Town Hall for staff featuring a live panel of Southlake experts. The session was specific to vaccinations in children aged 5-11.
Panel: Dr. Charmaine van Schaik, Physician Leader, Maternal Child Program and Co-medical Lead, Vaccine Management Committee
Andrea Fretz, Child Life Specialist, Maternal Child
Dr. David Makary, Chief of Family Medicine
With information from Dr. Mohit Singla, Paediatric Cardiologist
Q: Should kids get a COVID-19 vaccine?
A: Yes, the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. They can protect kids from getting infected with COVID-19. Everyone who is eligible should get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Q: Are COVID-19 vaccines safe for kids?
A: While the studies are small thus far, they show that COVID-19 vaccines in kids are very safe. A vaccine goes through intensive testing before people can get it. Millions of children 5-11 are fully vaccinated already, with no serious safety concerns identified.
Q: What are the common side effects of COVID-19 vaccines in children?
A: So far side effects are very similar to adults: pain, swelling, redness at the vaccination site, fatigue, headache, chills.
Q: Should I be concerned about the myocarditis issue in my child?
A: The risk of myocarditis is very minimal in this age group and not in the same predominance as in the 15- to 24-year-old group. For the rare number of people who get it, it lasts three to five days at most and returns to baseline without any long-term consequences. With myocarditis not related to vaccination, or in kids who get myocarditis related to acute COVID illness, risks are much higher, with the symptoms more severe and recovery time longer.
Q: What symptoms should I watch for, just in case?
A: The most common symptoms of myocarditis include heaviness or pain in the chest and heart pounding a bit faster. Anybody who experiences this is encouraged to seek medical attention, usually through emergency departments where specialists are available to do testing quickly to find out if there’s more to be concerned about.
Q: Why is the interval eight weeks between first and second doses? Is this adequate?
A: Research has shown the eight-week time interval gives optimal immunity as it allows the body more time to respond to the first dose and build immunity before the second. This is the reason for the extended interval.
Q: How will getting the vaccine at a young age impact future growth and development?
A: We don’t have long-term studies yet. At best, we’ve had three to six months in the trials looking at the effects of this vaccination process. But what we do know is that this vaccine does not enter our DNA. It is disposed of and discarded from the body shortly after it’s administered and does not embed in any way, so it has no ability to affect development or fertility or prospective growth.
Q: If kids are less affected by COVID-19, why should we vaccinate them?
A: COVID-19 vaccines help the body fight off the virus. Although children and youth are less likely to get really sick from COVID-19, they can still:
- get sick from COVID-19
- be infected and not have any symptoms
- spread COVID-19 to others
- experience longer-term effects if they do get infected
- get a rare but serious complication called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)
Children and youth with certain underlying medical conditions may have a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Vaccinations also help with being able to keep kids in school, participate in extra curricular activities and have an improved social life and mental health.
Q: Would the COVID-19 vaccine change the way we administer other vaccines for children? For example, would this vaccine be grouped with mumps, measles, chickenpox etc. moving forward?
A: That remains to be seen. It could also be more like influenza vaccines with an annual approach. But this isn’t something we can answer yet.
Resources:
COVID-19 Vaccine Consult Service (sickkids.ca) – Sick Kids has a team of paediatric Registered Nurses ready to listen and answer your questions about the COVID-19 vaccines.
COVID-19 vaccine information for children (ages five to 11) (aboutkidshealth.ca)
Max the Vax – Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (oacas.org) – great resource for younger children
VIDEO (Youth) Why there are no microchips in the COVID-19 vaccine | CBC Kids News – YouTube
VIDEO Youth COVID-19 Vaccination: What to Expect – YouTube
Vaccines for children: COVID-19 – Canada.ca
Needle pokes: Reducing pain in children aged 18 months or over (aboutkidshealth.ca)
Needle pokes: Reducing pain with comfort positions and distraction (aboutkidshealth.ca)
