Since May 10th, when the FDA expanded the emergency use authorization for the Cvd-19 vax to include children 12-15 years old, I have received a lot of great questions from parents.
It is your right to be concerned and it is expected that you want the very best for your child. So please, ASK QUESTIONS to your child's provider, and do not search your mommy Facebook group, where you might find incorrect information.
When I am faced with the above question, here are my reasons why you should vaccinate your eligible child:
1️⃣The vax is safe. Have you heard me say this enough? As of 2 days ago, 308 million doses have been given in the United States. We are not magnetic, we are not walking backward, we are not spreading the virus, and we did not develop autism. (In case you were wondering, there is no association between immunizations and an increased risk of autism. Andrew Wakefield, the ex-physician that made this disgraceful and damaging claim lost his medical license for manipulating evidence and being dishonest with his research.)
2️⃣The dangers of CVD-19 far outweigh potential side effects from the vax. CVD-19 can be debilitating and even deadly. Children are not spared from this virus!
3️⃣It's easy! AND FREE! You can now get the vax at your child's primary care office or at a local pharmacy chain. The vax also does not need to be given on a separate day from other immunizations. So, if your kiddo has a well visit planned, inquire about getting it on the same day.
4️⃣Herd immunity. We need >70-80% of the population to be vax'd or immune in order to reach herd immunity.
▶️▶️What's next? Moderna has asked for FDA authorization for ages 12-17. This is GREAT news. More opportunities and availability, means we are getting CLOSER to normalcy!
We are almost there‼️‼️‼️