Boston doctor on COVID boosters for kids
Updated: 5:06 PM EDT Aug 25, 2022
JESSICA: NEW COVID-19 BOOSTERS COULD BE AVAILABLE NEXT MONTH FOR KIDS AS YOUNG AS 12. HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IS DR. SCOTT HADLAND, CHIEF OF ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT MEDICINE AT MASS GENERAL FOR CHILDREN. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. ED: QUESTION ONE. THE FDA IS CURRENTLY REVIEWING TWO APPLICATIONS FOR UPDATED BOOSTERS, BUT ONLY ONE SHOT, THE ONE FROM PFIZER, COULD BE AUTHORIZED FOR TEENAGERS. SO, WHEN WILL WE LEARN HOW WELL IT WORKS? DR. HADLAND: I AM NOT JUST A PEDIATRICIAN, I AM ALSO A DAD. SO I UNDERSTAND PARENTS WANT THIS INFORMATION AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN GET IT. IN NEARLY EVERY STUDY THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO DATE, THE VACCINES ARE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE IN KIDS. WHAT IS TRICKY AS WE HEAD INTO THE FALL IS THAT THERE IS CONSTANTLY EMERGENCE OF NEW SUBVARIANTS, AND THIS IS A NEW VACCINE, AND TO SOME EXTENT WE WILL NOT KNOW EXACTLY HOW EFFECTIVE IT IS UNTIL A LITTLE BIT OF TIME HAS PASSED. SO YOU CAN COUNT ON PEDIATRICIANS TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION AS SOON AS WE CAN. IN EVERY STUDY THAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR WHEN WE LOOK BACK, WE FIND THAT KIDS TEND TO BE PROTECTED BY VACCINES, THE VACCINES ARE SAFE, AND THEY GET A REALLY POSITIVE BENEFIT FROM HAVING THEM. JESSICA: WE KNOW AT THIS POINT THAT YOUNG AND HEALTHY TEENAGERS ALREADY HAVE A LOW RISK OF SEVERE ILLNESS AND DEATH FROM COVID-19. SO A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE THE BENEFIT TO THEM OF GETTING ANOTHER SHOT? DR. HADLAND: WE KNOW VACCINES ARE SAFE. IF THE F THESE — IF THE FDA AND CDC RECOMMEND THEM, WHICH WE SPECKED THEY WILL, YOU CAN HAVE THE ASSURANCE THAT THEY ARE SAFE AND THAT PEDIATRICIANS LIKE ME WILL RECOMMEND THEM. WHAT IS DIFFICULT ABOUT THE SEVERE ILLNESS AND HOSPITALIZATION THAT SOMETIMES HAPPENS TO TEENS WHEN THEY GET COVID, IS THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT EXACTLY WHO WILL GET IT. THERE ARE SOME RISK FACTORS, BUT THERE ARE ALSO PERFECTLY HEALTHY TEENS WHO GO ON TO HAVE SEVERE ILLNESS. THAT IS WHAT VACCINES ARE DOING, IS HELPING TO PREVENT THAT. ED: AS YOU KNOW, THERE’S ALREADY A BOOSTER AVAILABLE NOW FOR ANYONE WHO IS FIVE AND OLDER. EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN’T TARGET OMICRON, DO YOU THINK IT’S STILL WORTH GETTING? DR. HADLAND: AGAIN, I HAVE GOT MY YOUNG KIDS VACCINATED. THEY ARE YOUNG KIDS. WHAT I WANT OUT OF THE VACCINE AND WHAT THE DATA KEEPS SHOWING US, IS THAT VACCINES PREVENT SEVERE ILLNESS AND HOSPITALIZATION. SO THAT IS REALLY THE BENEFIT WE ARE LOOKING FOR WHEN PEOPLE GET VACCINATED. AND IT DOESN’T PREVENT AGAINST GETTING COVID IN THE FIRST PLACE BUT WE ARE REALLY LOOKING TO PREVENT SEVERE ALMOST. JESSICA: THE STATE JUST UPDATED ITS VACCINATION DATA, AND EVEN WITH SCHOOL STARTING SOON, THE RATE OF YOUNGER CHILDREN GETTING BOOSTER SHOTS IS STILL REALLY LOW. JUST 17% FOR KIDS 5-TO-11 AND 37% FOR KIDS 12-TO-15. SO WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PARENTS, WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO KNOW? DR. HADLAND: TALK TO YOUR PEDIATRICIAN, THIS IS WHAT WE ARE HERE FOR. WE DEAL IN VACCINES ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. WE FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE ANSWERING QUESTIONS. I KNOW AS A PARENT TO GOT MY OWN YOUNG CHILDREN VACCINATED THAT THESE ARE BIG DECISIONS, EVEN WHEN YOU KNOW THE DATA. YOU STILL HAVE QUESTIONS, AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BRING THEM TO YOUR PEDIATRICIAN OR OTHER EXPERTS SO YOU CAN HAVE AN INFORMED CONVERSATION. ED: JUST CONVERSATIONALLY, THOSE NUMBERS SEEM TO BE SOMEWHAT CONFLICTING. 80% OF MASSACHUSETTS HAS ALREADY GOTTEN IT, AND YET THESE LOWER NUMBERS FOR KIDS. THEY SEEM TO BE OUT OF BALANCE. THAT MAY B
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Boston doctor on COVID boosters for kids
Updated: 5:06 PM EDT Aug 25, 2022
Dr. Scott Hadland, chief of adolescent and young adult medicine at Mass General for Children, talk about new COVID-19 boosters for kids.
Dr. Scott Hadland, chief of adolescent and young adult medicine at Mass General for Children, talk about new COVID-19 boosters for kids.
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