First COVID-19 vaccine doses go into the arms of Hawaii children ages 5-11

Some of the first COVID-19 vaccine shots for kids ages 5 to 11 went into arms Wednesday at the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children.

By closing time at the center’s clinic, more than 100 shots of the Pfizer vaccine had been administered to the first cohort of kids in this age group, and approximately 1,500 had appointments, signaling the start of another wave of vaccinations for a younger segment of Hawaii’s population.

Siblings Nora Di Rocco, 5, and Mason Di Rocco, 7, were among those that bared their arms for the shots on Wednesday. Mason held his younger sister’s hand for moral support as she got her shot, which she described as “a little, teensy, tiny pinch.”

“As pediatricians and parents, we’ve been waiting for this day for so long,” said their mother, Dr. Jennifer Di Rocco, “and I am just so grateful and happy that we were able to get them both vaccinated today. We’ll be able to fly to Michigan to see their grandparents for the first time in two years … and that’s a big part of what it’s about.”

Hawaii Pacific Health is offering the pediatric vaccines at its Kapiolani and Straub Medical Center clinics on Oahu. Starting Monday, both will be open through 6 p.m. weekdays so children can go after school.

The Queen’s Health Systems will open appointments for the 5-11 age group at its clinics today for a Friday start, but held a soft launch Wednesday to ensure safety protocols are in place. Kaiser Permanente Hawaii also will begin administering the vaccines for children ages 5 to 11 on Friday at all of its vaccination sites.

CVS Health’s Longs Drugs and Walgreens began accepting appointments for pediatric shots to be administered this weekend at select pharmacies.

Dr. Brent Tamamoto of Aiea Pediatrics said his office scheduled 15 patients for the COVID-19 vaccinations on Wednesday morning, and expects to administer them when the vaccines are delivered this weekend.

Anticipating its availability, his office had conducted a survey of patients to gauge interest in the vaccine, and decided to offer it at Aiea Pediatrics.

“I think just like with the previous vaccines, there are going to be some families who are very eager and can’t wait,” he said. “Roughly speaking maybe about a third of the patients are saying, ‘Sign me up, I’m ready to go,’ maybe a third are saying, ‘I’m interested, but I’m going to wait a little bit,’ and maybe a third are saying, ‘I’m not quite ready or not interested.’ ”

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s most recent COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor, about 27% of parents surveyed said they are eager to get their kids ages 5 to 11 a vaccine as soon as it is authorized, while 33% said they will wait to see how the vaccine is working.

Roughly 30% said they definitely will not get their children ages 5 to 11 vaccinated, and 5% say they will only do so if their school requires it.

Parents cited a range of concerns, with most about safety, and the potential unknown, long-term effects and serious side effects from the vaccines. Some survey respondents questioned whether the vaccine could affect their child’s future fertility. Others questioned whether the shots are necessary, given that most children do not get severely ill after contracting COVID-19, and as average case counts in Hawaii have declined.

On Wednesday, the weekly average of daily coronavirus cases was at 108, and the positivity rate at 1.7%.

Dr. Caroline Chang, a pediatrician at Kaiser and mother of three, ages 4, 9 and 11, recommends that eligible children get the vaccine as soon as possible to protect them from the potential, serious complications from COVID-19.

“It’s true that most kids who get COVID don’t get so sick but there are some that do get very, very sick, and end up needing to be in the hospital,” she said. “Some need to be in the ICU. Being a mom myself and knowing that is a risk — if I have a way to prevent that from happening — then I want to do that.”

She added that going forward, “Even if case counts are low now we don’t know what it’s going to be a month, two months from now, when people travel for the holidays. I think it’s better to be prepared for that.”

Chang said many parents are concerned about the COVID-19 vaccine because they are newer, but noted there is no reason to believe fertility would be affected. “Studies that have been done, to date, do not show that in adults or teenagers,” she said.

Many parents also are concerned about myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, resulting from the vaccine. Pfizer’s clinical trial for 5- to 11-year-olds found no cases of myocarditis. Tamamoto said, “Those are … valid concerns and I encourage parents to become as well-informed as possible and ask me any of their concerns or questions.”

Over the past year and a half, he has treated dozens of pediatric patients with COVID-19, including some severe cases, and seen how it can affect the whole family.

Cases of myocarditis resulting from the COVID-19 vaccines are extremely rare, he said, and relatively mild, but can be more severe in those who have been infected with the coronavirus.

“The important thing to know is that every single side effect that’s associated with the vaccine is also seen with the disease and to a much higher degree, much more severe and much more common,” he said.

Across the U.S., Tamamoto said, COVID-19 has ranked eighth among the causes of childhood death, and more than 400 have died from the disease. Pfizer’s study found the pediatric vaccine to be 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children ages 5-11.

“It’s up to families to decide to vaccinate their children when they’re ready,” he said. “I do feel strongly this is something that will help your child be healthy and avoid complications from this disease, and that getting the vaccine is much safer than not getting the vaccine.”

Common side effects from the pediatric Pfizer vaccine include fever, sore arm, body aches and fatigue, which typically lasts one to three days, doctors said.

An estimated 119,473 ages 5 to 11 live in the state, according to the Hawaii Department of Health, which put in an initial order of 41,700 doses.

Health officials said the vaccines will be available at more than 200 locations statewide including medical facilities, community health centers, mobile clinics, pharmacies, pediatrician’s offices, and more than 130 public, private and charter schools.

The Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 is one-third the dose used for adults, and administered with smaller needles. Two doses are to be administered three weeks apart.

Parents and legal guardians are required to submit signed consent forms before anyone 17 and younger can be vaccinated, according to the Health Department.

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VACCINES FOR KEIKI AGES 5-11

>> Kapiolani Medical Center (8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday to Saturday), Straub Medical Center (8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday to Friday). Starting Monday, clinics will be open until 6 p.m. weekdays. Visit HawaiiPacificHealth.org/COVID19Vaccine.

>> HPH’s COVID-19 Vax Squad will also offer keiki vaccines at mobile clinics on Oahu starting Saturday. Visit HawaiiPacificHealth.org/COVID19Vaccine.

>> Queen’s Health Systems opens appointments today for a Friday start at its clinics. Visit covid.queens.org/vaccine or call 808-691-2222.

>> Kaiser Permanente Hawaii begins pediatric vaccines at all vaccination sites Friday. Visit kp.org.

>> Longs Drugs, Walgreens taking appointments at CVS.com and Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine.