PCDOH Vaccinates Children Five- to Eleven-Years of Age, Gives Boosters for Eligible Adults

An estimated 6000 additional Putnam residents, five to eleven years of age,  are now eligible for COVID shots and the Putnam County Department of Health has scheduled  four clinics to vaccinate them, along with providing boosters for eligible adults. Afternoon  clinics are scheduled for November 18 and 23, and December 9 and 14, and will run from 2 to  4:30 p.m. Children vaccinated at the first clinic in Carmel Plaza on November 18, can receive their second shot on December 9 in Carmel and be fully protected before Christmas Day. The clinics on November 23 and December 14 will be held at the Philipstown Recreation Center,  with full protection by New Year's Eve. Online registration and further information will be  shared on the health department's social media platforms and posted on their webpage at 

https://www.putnamcountyny.com/health/covid19/#vaxinfo 

The authorization of these youngsters comes as most clusters of COVID cases in Putnam County  have affected schools and daycare centers where children gather. The most impacted school districts last month were Mahopac and Putnam Valley. The benefits for vaccinated children go  beyond protection from infection. Fully vaccinated students of all ages, who remain  asymptomatic, are not required to quarantine if exposed to a classmate or other person with COVID, allowing them to continue attending school and other activities. 

We are working closely with local pediatricians in this phase of vaccinations, explained Kathleen Percacciolo, RN, supervising public health nurse. We are offering these  Pfizer vaccination opportunities to assist them in their campaign to vaccinate this 5- to 11-year-old age  group. Putnam pediatricians have been and continue to be the lead vaccine providers for  children. One day COVID vaccination will become as routine as other childhood immunizations. 

Now, these young children have the chance to join the more than 73,000 residents who have  already received their first doses. In addition to providing first shots for these children, the PCDOH will offer booster shots and  third doses to eligible adults at the same clinics. Eligibility depends on which shot was initially received. Anyone who received Moderna or Pfizer is eligible for a booster if they are 65 years and older, or 18 years and older and have certain health conditions, or live or work in a high-risk  setting. These individuals must wait at least six months after their second dose. Those recipients  who are 12 years and older, with weakened immune systems, (for example from cancer  treatments) are eligible for a third dose if it is at least two months from their last shot. If it has been over two months, they are eligible for a booster. Booster and third doses are technically different and may vary clinically in the dosage. For individuals who received the Johnson &  Johnson shot, and are 18 years of age and older, should get a booster if at least two months has  passed since their shot. 

The five to eleven-year-olds will receive the Pfizer vaccine in two doses, spaced three weeks apart, like the timing for older recipients. Each of the two doses for the younger group will be  equal to one third the amount given to people 12 years of age and older.  While it is true that children have a lower risk than adults for hospitalization and death due to the  virus, and for continuing post-COVID infection symptoms, pediatric illness has accounted for a  higher proportion of cases in the most recent surge driven by the more easily transmitted Delta  variant. The safety of the vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds has been studied in more than 3,000  children and no serious side effects were detected in these clinical trials. Additionally, the vaccine proved to be 90.7 percent effective in preventing COVID in this age group. Trials are  now underway looking at vaccination for children as young as six months of age. Short-term side effects of the COVID vaccine including fever, chills, and body aches, have been  common across all age categories with the COVID vaccines, most noticeably after the second  dose. Similar side effects were also seen in the trials for the 5- to 11-year-olds, with younger  recipients possibly more prone to these. In COVID-vaccinated adolescents and young adults  under 30 years of age, rare cases of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart, have also been  seen, most notably among males. However, infection with COVID-19 poses a higher risk for  developing myocarditis than vaccination. Moreover, multi-system inflammatory syndrome which is linked to the virus in pediatric cases is also much more common and can cause inflammation of the heart. There were no reported or observed cases of myocarditis in the recent trial data  submitted to the FDA on the 3,000 plus children ages 5 to 11. Clearly the less risky path for all ages, 5 and older, is vaccination. 

The mission of the Putnam County Department of Health, nationally accredited by the Public  Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), is to improve and protect the health of the Putnam County  community, composed of nearly 100,000 residents. Core services include community health  assessment, disease surveillance and control, emergency preparedness, environmental health  protection, family health promotion and health education. For more information, please visit the  Putnam County website at www.putnamcountyny.com, or visit the health department social media sites on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For further information, contact: Shanna Siegel, Public Information Officer, at 845-656-4905.