一位白宫医生回答了你关于为5至11岁儿童接种新冠肺炎疫苗的首要问题

我们在与新冠肺炎的战斗中又达到了一个重要的里程碑。11月2日，辉瑞疫苗被批准紧急用于5至11岁的儿童。该授权遵循了疾病控制和预防中心(疾控中心)和食品药品监督管理局(美国食品和药物管理局)的建议。这意味着大多数高中生、中学生和小学生现在都可以接种新冠肺炎疫苗(12岁及以上的学生早在5月份就获准接种疫苗)。

5至11岁的儿童将获得更小剂量的辉瑞疫苗——两剂各10微克，是青少年和成人剂量的三分之一。根据美国食品和药物管理局10月29日的新闻稿，它将被注射两针，间隔三周，在预防新冠肺炎方面有90.7%的效果。虽然分发可以立即开始，但儿科疫苗的推出应该会在下周初全面展开。

自然，家长们对这一重大疫苗突破有疑问。为了了解更多信息，我们采访了拜登总统新冠肺炎健康公平工作小组的联合主席，医学博士马塞拉努内斯-史密斯。

RELATED: :孩子们什么时候能接种新冠肺炎疫苗？专家是这样说的

新冠肺炎隔离和封锁后，戴口罩的孩子们回到学校。

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Children generally have mild cases of COVID-19. Why is it important for them to get vaccinated? 

While COVID-19 is usually mild in children, serious illness and death have been reported. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children represent 16.6 percent of all COVID-19 cases in America. About 0.1 to 2 percent of pediatric cases result in hospitalization, based on data reported by some states, and up to 0.03 percent of cases are fatal. "We've lost over 700 children to COVID-19," says Dr. Nunez-Smith. 

Vaccination can also prevent long-term effects of COVID-19—such as joint pain, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating—that can last for weeks or months after infection. Long COVID can even happen after mild or asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus. 

"And, of course, there's MIS-C, which is something we have seen uniquely among children," says Dr. Nunez-Smith. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a serious condition that happens rarely after COVID-19 infection, and it can cause inflammation the heart, organs, lungs, kidneys, brain, and other body parts, says the CDC. MIS-C can be serious or deadly in young people. 

Finally, vaccinating kids can protect other members of their household, including the elderly or immunocompromised, who tend to get more severe cases of COVID-19. "As a parent, there are many, many reasons to get our children vaccinated in that younger age group to protect them," says Dr. Nunez-Smith. "And that's in addition to the benefits to our families and communities of having everyone vaccinated."

• RELATED: COVID-19 in Kids and Toddlers: Symptoms Parents Need to Know

Where can children ages 5 to 11 get vaccinated? 

According to Dr. Nunez-Smith, pediatric vaccines will be available at more than 20,000 locations across the country, including pediatrician's offices, children's hospitals, community health centers, schools, and local pharmacies. If you're looking for a provider, Dr. Nunez-Smith recommends visiting the Vaccines.gov website. "Vaccines.gov remains a critical resource for anyone trying to get connected with vaccines, including our younger children," she says.

Kids ages 5 to 11 will get a smaller dose of Pfizer—about one-third of the dose given to adolescents and adults. What's the reason for this?

"Children are not little adults," says Dr. Nunez-Smith. "It's critical to set up clinical trials specific for children" to make sure we have the science right. The FDA, CDC, and medical adviser have rigorously pored over clinical trial results to determine the lower dose is safe and effective for younger children. It's been shown to have over a 90 percent efficiency, says Dr. Nunez-Smith.

What are the COVID-19 vaccine side effects in children? Do they differ from adult side effects? 

Overall, pediatric side effects are similar to those experienced by adolescents and adults. "The number one side effect has been a sore arm," says Dr. Nunez-Smith, adding that fever, chills, and fatigue are also common. Tiredness, headache, and nausea have been reported as well, according to the CDC. 

"I always tell folks to stay hydrated right before and after the vaccination," says Dr. Nunez-Smith. "And if anyone gets a fever or chills, it's absolutely fine to take a fever-reducing medication." (Note, however, that you shouldn't take medication before getting the vaccine; the CDC only recommends it afterward if you have symptoms). 

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Some parents have been put off by rare reports of myocarditis and pericarditis (inflammation of the heart) after vaccination—usually in male adolescents and young adults after the second dose. But this potential side effect is "extraordinarily rare," says Dr. Nunez-Smith. "Among the children in the vaccine trials, we didn't see any cases at all." Plus, she adds that children have a greater risk of heart inflammation after COVID-19 infection than vaccination—and it tends to be more severe with the coronavirus. 

Some parents are hesitant to get their kids vaccinated, citing fear of long-term side effects. How can we be sure the COVID-19 vaccines are safe? 

So far, "the pediatric vaccination is closely following the way the vaccines are performing in those who are older," says Dr. Nunez-Smith. Experts have been impressed by the safety profile and effectiveness, and there have been no red flags. Indeed, according to a press release by the FDA, "The vaccine's safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children age 5 through 11 who received the vaccine and no serious side effects have been detected in the ongoing study." 

Also, parents should consider the alternative to vaccination: possible infection with the coronavirus. "Very sadly, we're seeing that there are long-term effects, and some serious short-term effects too," says Dr. Nunez-Smith. The risk of COVID-19 infection continues to vastly outweigh the extremely minimal risks of vaccination.

If your child recently received the flu shot or another vaccine, do they need to wait for the COVID-19 vaccine?

According to the CDC, you can get the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines—including the flu shot—at the same time. "For many parents, it might be a preferred option to have a one-time vaccination," says Dr. Nunez-Smith.    

• RELATED: White House Unveils Plans to Distribute COVID-19 Vaccine to Children Ages 5-11

Will kids need COVID-19 vaccine booster shots in the future?

"This question is actively being investigated in the folks who have participated in the trials," says Dr. Nunez-Smith. In other words, experts don't know yet, but they'll thoroughly evaluate data to make a decision in the future.

Should children get vaccinated if they already had COVID-19?

Experts still don't know much about immunity acquired by COVID-19 infection. How long does it last, and how strong is it? Because of this, "the clinical recommendation is for everybody, pediatric and adult, who has had a confirmed case of COVID-19, to still get vaccinated. You can absolutely talk with your pediatrician about the timing," says Dr. Nunez-Smith.

When might children younger than 5 be eligible for the vaccine?

Pfizer is currently conducting clinical trials for children 6 months to 5 years old. "There's no crystal balls, of course," says Dr. Nunez-Smith. "But the timelines now suggest that we'll have clinical trial data available for review at the beginning of calendar year 2022." Assuming all goes well, emergency use authorization for children under 5 might come soon after that.

• RELATED: COVID-19 Vaccine During Pregnancy: Everything Parents Should Know

What should kids do after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine? Do they still need to take precautions, such as wearing masks and social distancing?

Vaccine approval for kids ages 5 to 11 is a major step toward ending the pandemic. That said, COVID-19 is still spreading, which means masking and social distancing remain important for keeping our communities safe. "These numbers are still real. I don't think we're in a place to say we're going to pull down public health mitigation," Dr. Nunez-Smith. She recommends staying informed with transmission levels in your community, and following all recommended health protocols.

The Bottom Line 

"Everyone in the [Biden] administration has been working really hard on making sure it's going to be easy, convenient, and free to get our children vaccinated," says Dr. Nunez-Smith. "We have supply for every child in this country." Getting vaccinated when it's your turn can help slow the spread of COVID-19, keeping families safe and helping America get one step closer to finally ending the pandemic.