Epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan on COVID-19 vaccine for kids: It really helps protect the whole family – KCRA Sacramento

HER WORKERS ARE VACCITEDNA OR TESTED WEEKLY. BRIAN: YOUNGER CHILDREN AGE FIVE TO 11 EAR GETTING VACCINES IN OUR AREA. THIS VACCINE CLINIC AT ELKHORN VILLAGE ELEMENTARY IN WEST SACRAMENTO. AND WITH THE ROLLOUT FOR THIS AGE GROUP UERND WAY, A LOT OF PARENTS STILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. LISA: WE ARJOINEDE LIVE BY STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST ERICA PAN. WHAT IS THE STATE DOING TO GET VACCINES TO CHILDREN AGES FIVE TO 11? DR. PENN — DR. PAN: WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ORDER A 5 MILLION VACCINES FOR THE AREA. ASOU Y MENTION, IHI TNK WE ALREADY HAVE A FEW THOUSAND UNDER OUR BELT. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, PRIMYAR CARE PROVIDERS, SCHOOLS, AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO ADMINISTER VACCINES TO CHILDN.RE BRIAN: HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM THE ROLLOUT FOR ADUSLT AND TEENS? DR. PANI: THINK IS — I THINK IS DIFFERENT IN A FEW WAYS. PARENTS WOULD OFTEN LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOUR REGULAR PROVIDER TO TALK TO THE PROVIDER AND TO GET VACCINES UNDER YOUR NORMAL SORT OF MEDICAL HOME, AS WE CALL IT. WE ARE REAYLL LEVERAGING OUR EXISTING PROVIDERS. THE NICE THING ABOUT THIS VACCINE IS DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME REALLY SPECIAL STORAGE REQUIREMENTS WE NEEDED FOR THE EARLY BATCHES OF ADULT VACCINE, AND THE DEMAND AND SUPPLY ARE DIFFERENT. WE KNOW WE HAVE ENOUGH VACCINE. WERE A NOT WORRIED ABOUT SUPPLY COMPARED TO DEMAND. THERE’S AUTBO 3.5 MILLION CHILDREN IN THIS AGE RANGE. LISA: WHAT DO YOU WANT PARENTS TO KNOW WHO ARE UNDECIDED ABOUT GETTING THEIR CHILDREN VACCINATED? .DR PAN: I WANT THEM TO KNOW, AGAIN AS A PARENT MYSELF, THAT THIS IS THE WAY WE CAN PROTECT OUR YOUNG KIDS. I’M HAY PPAND GRATEFUL MY KIDS ALREADY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET BACK TO THEIR NORMAL LIVES. IT REALLY HELPS PROTECT THE WHOLE FAMILY. DURING THE WINTER, PEOPLE ARE COMING INDOORS, AND THERE IS LILYKE TO BE MORE TRANSMISSION WITH COVID-19, AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR KIDS TO BECOME EJECTED. THEY HAVE THAN WAITING THEIR TURN PATIENTLY, AND I THINK IT IS TIME. IT IS SAFEND A EFFECTIVE. — THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITYOR F KIDS TO BECOME PROTECTED. THE VACCINE WENT THROUGH ALL THE SAME TRIALS AND ANALYS,SI AND THE FEDERAL AGENCIES HAVE AGREED AT

Epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan on COVID-19 vaccine for kids: ‘It really helps protect the whole family’

Children ages 5 to 11 are now getting the Pfizer vaccine across Northern California. With the rollout for this age group underway, a lot of parents still have some questions. State epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan joined KCRA on Thursday to talk about the state’s vaccine efforts. What is the state doing to get the vaccines to children ages 5 to 11? Dr. Pan: “We have been able to order almost a million vaccines in the state of California. And a lot of it has been pre-deployed waiting for this authorization and recommendations from the FDA and CDC. So as you just mentioned, I think we already have a few thousand under our belt in the first couple of days of vaccine availability. We have been working closely with local health departments, primary care providers, schools, and other community partners to administer vaccines to children.”How is this different from the rollout for adults and teens? Dr. Pan: “I think it is different in a few ways. First of all, we have a lot of experience under our belt. We know that parents – and I’m a parent myself — would often like to speak to your regular provider, to talk to the provider about benefits and risks and to get vaccines under your normal sort of medical home, as we call it. We are really leveraging our existing providers. The nice thing about this vaccine also is it doesn’t have the same really special storage requirements we needed for the early batches of adult vaccine. And the demand and supply are different. We know we have enough vaccine. We’re not worried about supply compared to demand. There’s about 3.5 million children in this age range. Based on our surveys and what we’re anticipating we feel good about getting vaccine out in provider’s offices, in pharmacies instead of these mass vaccination clinics we did early on.”What do you want parents to know who are undecided about getting their children vaccinated? Dr. Pan: “I want them to know, again as a parent myself, that this is the way we can protect our young kids. I’m so happy and grateful that my teens already had the opportunity and it’s helped me and them feel more comfortable to get back to their normal lives. It really helps protect the whole family. We’re preparing for the winter and people are coming indoors. There is likely to be more transmission of COVID-19 and this is an opportunity for kids to become protected. They have been waiting their turn patiently, and I think it’s really time. It is safe and effective. The vaccine trials that happened were done the same way with millions of adult and young adult and teen data before the pediatric vaccine trials – and went through all the same analysis with vaccine experts. And they all unanimously have agreed that the benefits outweigh any risk of the vaccine and that there is a real risk from COVID in young children.”

What is the state doing to get the vaccines to children ages 5 to 11?

Dr. Pan: “We have been able to order almost a million vaccines in the state of California. And a lot of it has been pre-deployed waiting for this authorization and recommendations from the FDA and CDC. So as you just mentioned, I think we already have a few thousand under our belt in the first couple of days of vaccine availability. We have been working closely with local health departments, primary care providers, schools, and other community partners to administer vaccines to children.”

How is this different from the rollout for adults and teens?

Dr. Pan: “I think it is different in a few ways. First of all, we have a lot of experience under our belt. We know that parents – and I’m a parent myself — would often like to speak to your regular provider, to talk to the provider about benefits and risks and to get vaccines under your normal sort of medical home, as we call it. We are really leveraging our existing providers. The nice thing about this vaccine also is it doesn’t have the same really special storage requirements we needed for the early batches of adult vaccine. And the demand and supply are different. We know we have enough vaccine. We’re not worried about supply compared to demand. There’s about 3.5 million children in this age range. Based on our surveys and what we’re anticipating we feel good about getting vaccine out in provider’s offices, in pharmacies instead of these mass vaccination clinics we did early on.”

What do you want parents to know who are undecided about getting their children vaccinated?

Dr. Pan: “I want them to know, again as a parent myself, that this is the way we can protect our young kids. I’m so happy and grateful that my teens already had the opportunity and it’s helped me and them feel more comfortable to get back to their normal lives. It really helps protect the whole family. We’re preparing for the winter and people are coming indoors. There is likely to be more transmission of COVID-19 and this is an opportunity for kids to become protected. They have been waiting their turn patiently, and I think it’s really time. It is safe and effective. The vaccine trials that happened were done the same way with millions of adult and young adult and teen data before the pediatric vaccine trials – and went through all the same analysis with vaccine experts. And they all unanimously have agreed that the benefits outweigh any risk of the vaccine and that there is a real risk from COVID in young children.”