Editorial: For many keiki, shot’s right choice

The level of risk most parents want to tolerate for their children hovers right around zero. When it’s an either-or proposition, however, and when both options come with some risk, that’s where adults, including parents guided by their most trusted medical advisers, have to make the tough call for the kids.

Moms, dads and guardians of kids ages 5-11 face just such a decision with the emergency use authorization (EUA) of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19 for these children. Hawaii providers are authorized for its distribution now, with about 40,000 doses available.

Many families, having weighed the pros and cons, are welcoming the opportunity to give the kids, the youngest among the elementary-school cohort, the layer of protection that the vaccine offers. Although some providers already are booking appointments, the 10 select CVS Pharmacy locations in this state won’t be delivering shots until Sunday.

Others in the general public aren’t in such a heated rush. Parental concerns are certainly rational in an environment of a novel coronavirus and a new vaccine to counter it, which is all the more reason they should consult with a family pediatrician, or get counsel from a public health provider.

Someone who knows a child’s medical history is best, and generic information — often it’s misinformation — gleaned from the internet is to be avoided.

According to a survey by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, about 27% of parents responding said they were eager to get their young children vaccinated as soon as it’s available. About one-third said they would wait for a time to gauge how the vaccine is working, and 3 in 10 said they would definitely not get the shot for either their adolescent or pre-adolescent children.

This means a fair number of parents are persuadable, if they can be satisfied by the information they receive. And this is why health experts are now reaching out with the argument that the risk of harm from COVID-19 itself is greater than from the vaccine.

One of the first to do so locally is state Health Director Libby Char. Approval of the pediatric shots, at one-third the adult dose, was announced Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC review offers assurance that the vaccine is safe and protective against severe illness and death, Char said in a written statement.

There are others addressing a national audience who concur. William Moss, executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins University, hosts an online Q&A (coronavirus.jhu.edu/vaccines/q-n-a/youth-vaccines-still-face- hurdles).

More follow-up data is required before the vaccine should be mandated, Moss said, because the trial size for the EUA was relatively small, involving 2,268 children ages 5-11. But there is enough to justify emergency use, he said, noting that there were no severe cases, hospitalizations or deaths in the trial.

Many hesitant parents cite the evidence that serious outcomes from COVID-19 are rare, but hospitalizations and deaths have occurred. Factoring in a child’s underlying conditions is crucial.

Even if an infected child does not suffer serious symptoms, they can infect others — and now that families are embarking on a holiday season with multigenerational gatherings, that should be a consideration. As for travel, that will be far more complicated with unvaccinated children.

It is ultimately the parents who will decide on COVID-19 shots for their minor children. It’s a decision not to be made lightly — or without consultation. Good advice is amply available, and they should seek it out.