As the mother of a teacher, and a retired pediatrician, I have read and seen firsthand the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our young children and adolescents. They are eager to return to school and freely socialize with friends and family. The COVID-19 vaccines provide us all with that opportunity and have allowed us to return to many freedoms we enjoy.
We must act now to increase our vaccination rate in McHenry County, especially our students who are at least 12 years old and eligible for the vaccine. It is important that students get that first vaccine before July 10, so they will have the minimum five weeks needed to become fully immune before the start of school.
The vaccine allows students to not have to quarantine unless they develop symptoms. That means a lot when you think about the number of educational days students already have lost during the pandemic. In addition, their fears about getting sick enough to be admitted to the hospital or getting loved ones ill are virtually eliminated when they are vaccinated.
More than 7 million doses have been given in the 12- to 17-year-old age group. Most children have had few side effects similar to adult experiences with sore arms, dizziness and flu-like symptoms.
Parents have been hearing a lot about the rare and mild cases of myocarditis or heart inflammation among young males after the mRNA vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna. A special meeting was called by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to thoroughly review the data. Investigations of the cases have shown that most myocarditis cases were short-lived and resolved within a few days. They concluded that while this rare myocarditis is likely associated with the vaccines, the “benefits of the vaccine clearly outweigh the risks in adolescents and young adults.”
When balancing the much more frequent occurrence of more serious heart inflammation that can occur with COVID-19 disease, the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics also continue to recommend vaccination for everyone 12 years of age and older.
The CDC will continue to closely monitor for new cases of myocarditis and follow existing cases for three to six months to look for any long-term consequences.
Parents and children should be aware of this potential adverse effect and be on the lookout for symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath or racing heart, and seek urgent medical care if this occurs within one week of receiving a second dose.
Thinking COVID-19 is going away is a dangerous thought as more contagious, and possibly more severe, variants of the virus are becoming more common in the U.S. Until our world is vaccinated, the virus will continue to change and kill those who are immunosuppressed and have other risk factors.
Please, don’t wait until the last minute, act now to get yourself and your children vaccinated this week to protect them, yourselves and your community.
Finding a vaccination site is easy. Just visit vaccines.gov or contact the McHenry County Department of Health by calling 815-334-4045.
• Dr. Laura Buthod is the health medical adviser to the McHenry County Department of Health.