Nolan Uniszkiewicz, 11, hopes to see their grandparents over the upcoming holidays along with his younger 8-year-old sister Sophie.
They made a joint jab — and got one back — toward that family goal by being one of the first children ages 5 to 11 to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at Naval Hospital Bremerton (NHB).
“They also got the vaccine to protect others and so they don’t miss school,” their father, commander, explained. Rob Uniszkiewicz, Emergency Officer of NHB Public Health and head of the COVID-19 working group.
NHB offers the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 to all eligible beneficiaries age five and older.
“(I) know masks help prevent COVID, but you can’t even recognize children and you miss parties, field trips and seeing relatives,” Nolan said.
“It’s hard being five feet away from your friends all the time, and you can’t even high-five someone,” Sophie added.
NHB holds pediatric vaccination clinics by appointment for children ages 5-11 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm in the Immunization Clinic on the second floor of the Family Medicine wing, in conjunction with U.S. Food and Drug approval (for emergency use) Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“By conducting the clinics in the late afternoon/early evening, we are trying to accommodate as many families as possible to help protect their children from this highly contagious disease, as well as avoid the interruptions of going back to school and being able to participate normal activities for the school year. Getting children vaccinated helps curb transmission and reduces the risk of serious illness, hospitalization and any long-term COVID-19 complications,” Uniszkiewicz said.
A parent/guardian must accompany any child receiving a vaccine, as is the case for all eligible beneficiaries under the age of 18. To make an appointment for a COVID-19 pediatric vaccine appointment at NHB, call the Puget Sound Military Appointment Center, 1-800-404-4506 from 6am to 8pm, Monday through Friday and from 7:30am to 3:30pm on Saturdays, or visit the online booking tool:
https://informatics-stage.health.mil/BremertonCOVIDApp
The Academy of Pediatrics, as well as CDC, recommend that children be vaccinated against COVID-19 when eligible to help protect themselves from serious illness and as an important step in ending the pandemic. Although children with COVID-19 often don’t get as sick as adults, they are still at risk for serious illness and can spread the virus to other children and adults who may become seriously ill.
For those parents who are unsure whether the vaccine is right for your children, NHB recommends that parents – including any pre-existing medical condition(s) and any previous reaction(s) – discuss with their healthcare provider/first-line manager.
Children who receive the vaccine may experience the same side effects as an adult. Common side effects include a sore arm, fatigue, headache, fever, or chills that last up to 48 hours after vaccination. These side effects are normal and show that the body is developing an appropriate response to the vaccine to protect itself against the virus. A lack of side effects does not mean that the vaccine does not work. COVID-19 vaccines do not contain the virus and cannot give your child COVID-19.
The vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years is given as a primary series of two doses, three weeks apart. It is a lower dose (10 micrograms) than that used for people 12 years and older (30 micrograms). Full protection is achieved two weeks after the second dose. This means that it will take five weeks for your child to achieve full protection. If you make an appointment now, your child will be protected as soon as possible.
The formulation of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 was nearly 91 percent effective in preventing symptomatic infections during clinical trials, while the Delta variant was widespread. While serious illnesses are less common in children, some children become seriously ill and the long-term effects of COVID-19 infection are unknown.
The most recently collected statistics show that there are about 700 infant deaths due to the pandemic.
Quick Facts:
• Individuals 12 years of age and older should continue to use the current Pfizer/Comirnaty product for adults and adolescents. The original Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine should not be used on children 5-11 years old. Both vaccines are available from Naval Hospital Bremerton. To book your COVID-19 vaccine with NHB, go to our online booking tool (https://informatics-stage.health.mil/BremertonCOVIDApp) and make an appointment.
• The pediatric formulation will be a primary series of two doses, with doses given three weeks apart.
• Even children who have had and recovered from COVID-19 should be vaccinated. Getting vaccinated is a safe way to build protection.
• Parental or guardian consent is required before anyone under the age of 18 can be vaccinated.
Covid-19 vaccine
Authorized for Pfizer-BioNTech Moderna J&J/Janssen
4 years and younger No No No
5-11 years old Yes No No
12-17 years Yes No No
18 years and older Yes Yes Yes
Created: 11.12.2021 Posted: 11.12.2021 16:29 Story ID: 409266 Location: BREMERTON, WA, USA Web Views: 18 Downloads: 0
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This work, Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine available from Naval Hospital Bremerton, by Douglas Stutz, identified by DVIDS, must conform to the restrictions displayed at https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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