The first wave of children to receive the newly authorized COVID-19 vaccine had their shots administered at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in Norwood on Wednesday, Nov. 3.

 

The kids in question were 11-year-old twins, Jamie Onofrio Franceschini and Ryann Onofrio Franceschini, and Kenechi Acholonu (9), Amechi Acholonu (7), and Chizara Acholonu (5).

 

“Today is a huge relief,” said Chrissie Onofrio, the twins’ mom. “For the last 20 months, we have been doing everything we could to keep them safe. As adults, we have been able to be vaccinated, and have only seen vaccinated people.”

 

She added, “Jamie and Ryann have been in school this year, but it has been very nerve-wracking knowing they aren’t fully protected. Now, we don’t need to rely on other people to protect them. They can protect themselves.”

After much anticipation, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 through 11 years of age on Friday, Oct. 29. The decision led the way for the vaccine to be made available to 28 million unvaccinated children across the United States, subject to its subsequent approval by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), which came a few days later, on Tuesday, Nov. 2.

 

On Nov. 2, CDC director, Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation that children aged 5 to 11 be vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine. This allowed providers to begin vaccinating children as soon as possible.

 

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced earlier this week that kids could begin to get their shots as early as Thursday, Nov. 4.

 

A representative for a group of public charter schools said the schools serve thousands of children in the Bronx community and that dozens of charter schools across the Bronx are going to be working to get students vaccinated safely to protect in-person learning in the weeks and months ahead. She said their goal is to support the community and deliver for children across the borough the academic support they need to thrive. 

 

Some charter schools released statements on Nov. 3 to emphasize the importance of vaccination for all who qualify to protect parents, grandparents, teachers, staff, students, and the community, saying the new age group, comprised of elementary school students, could be a game changer for in-person learning across the borough, city, and nation.

“There is no doubt that this is the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Miriam Raccah, executive director of Bronx Charter School for the Arts. “Our youngest students started the school year without a vaccine to protect them. Now, parents and their children have the opportunity to attend school with a new layer of protection. We know vaccines are the way out of this pandemic.”

 

 

She added, “The more people who get vaccinated, the closer we are to beat COVID-19. Our school will continue to support our community, our families and caregivers, and everyone who has a stake in building a brighter future for children. Today we celebrate a child’s ability to attend school feeling protected.” 

 

Janelle Bradshaw, CEO of Public Prep said, “Today’s announcement is significant in our schools’ fight against the virus and a step forward for children and their education. Vaccinating children ages 5-11 not only protects our children and staff members, but also our most vulnerable loved ones and community members.” 

 

Jess Nauiokas, co-founder of Haven Academy, said, “Since the beginning of the pandemic, for the last year and a half, our school leaders have worked actively to support every health measure placed, in order to stop the spread of this deadly virus within our communities.”

 

She added, “Our community will now have more tools to stop the spread from child to child, our students to those they live with, and other members of our community. The possibility of every child ages 5-11 being vaccinated from COVID-19 means a safer in-person learning experience for everyone. Today’s news brings a hopeful turn in giving our kids a more consistent educational future.”  

CDC officials said COVID-19 cases in children can result in hospitalizations, deaths, MIS-C (inflammatory syndromes) and long-term complications, such as “long COVID,” in which symptoms can linger for months. The spread of the Delta variant resulted in a surge of COVID-19 cases in children throughout the summer.

 

During a 6-week period in late June to mid-August, CDC officials said COVID-19 hospitalizations among children and adolescents increased fivefold. They added that vaccination, along with other preventative measures, can protect children from COVID-19 using the safe and effective vaccines already recommended for use in adolescents and adults in the United States.

 

According to the CDC, similar to what was seen in adult vaccine trials, vaccination was nearly 91 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 among children aged 5-11 years. In clinical trials, vaccine side effects were mild, self-limiting, and similar to those seen in adults and with other vaccines recommended for children. The most common side effect was a sore arm. 

 

CDC officials said COVID-19 vaccines have undergone – and will continue to undergo – the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. “Vaccinating children will help protect them from getting COVID-19 and therefore reducing their risk of severe disease, hospitalizations, or developing long-term COVID-19 complications,” they said. “Getting your children vaccinated can help protect them against COVID-19, as well as reduce disruptions to in-person learning and activities by helping curb community transmission.” 

 

Distribution of pediatric vaccinations across the country started this week, with plans to scale up to full capacity starting the week of Nov. 8. Vaccines will be available at thousands of pediatric healthcare provider offices, pharmacies, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and more.   

Mayor Bill de Blasio announces that New York City will start administering the COVID-19 vaccine to 5-11 year olds at City-run sites in the coming days and weeks. Video via Facebook.

 

In the context of the announcement on Tuesday, Walensky said, “Together, with science leading the charge, we have taken another important step forward in our nation’s fight against the virus that causes COVID-19.”

 

She added, “We know millions of parents are eager to get their children vaccinated and with this decision, we now have recommended that about 28 million children receive a COVID-19 vaccine. As a mom, I encourage parents with questions to talk to their pediatrician, school nurse or local pharmacist to learn more about the vaccine and the importance of getting their children vaccinated.” 

 

Members of the group, New York City Coalition for Educating Families Together (NYCCEFT), include some parents who are opposed to vaccinating their children with the COVID-19 vaccine.

 

We asked Farah Despeignes president of CEFT if it has a policy on the COVID-19 vaccine. She replied, “NYC CEFT doesn’t have an official stance on vaccinations for children and adults, except to say that adults who are comfortable with the vaccines should get them and adults who are comfortable with getting their children vaccinated should get their children vaccinated.” We asked if she herself was vaccinated for COVID-19. We did not receive an immediate response. Norwood News has interviewed some parents about their concerns and will be releasing a separate story shortly on this topic.

 

The mayor’s press conference on Nov. 4, where he, once again, talks about the vaccine roll-out for kids. can be watched here. It was announced on Thursday that kids are also eligible to receive $100, if they get vaccinated for COVID-19.

 

Meanwhile, on receiving her shot, Jaime said, “We are very excited because now we can hang out with our friends more and go on vacation.”

 

Editor’s Note: Get the facts about the COVID-19 vaccines at these sites:

https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-vaccine-facts.page

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/about-covid-19/caring-for-children/families.html