THIS WHOLE THING. ALL RIGHT. I THINK WE’RE LIKE 45 SECONDS AWAY.
>> WELCOME BACK. IT’S BEEN A
LONG TIME COMING AND NOW MORE
THAN 2 YEARS INTO THE PANDEMIC.
THE FDA HAS APPROVED COVID
VACCINES FOR KIDS AS YOUNG AS
6 MONTHS.
>> YEAH, WE KNOW YOU HAVE
QUESTIONS. DOCTOR TESS BARTON
WITH UT HEALTH. SAN ANTONIO IS
HERE TO ANSWER THEM. AND AS
ALWAYS, WE TRY TO SEPARATE THE
FACT FROM THE FICTION WHEN IT
COMES TO COVID AND INFECTIONS
AND VACCINES AND RIGHT OFF THE
TOP DOCTOR, I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE SEEING IN
YOUR ROUNDS. WHAT YOU’RE SEEING
IN YOUR PRACTICE, ARE WE SEEING
MORE KIDS BECOME SICK ENOUGH
THAT THEY NEED TO GO TO THE
HOSPITAL.
>> I THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
WE DEFINITELY ARE ACTUALLY.
SO WE’RE WE’RE CURRENTLY IN THE
SURGE, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW WE’RE
ALL TRYING TO PRETEND THAT
HASN’T HAPPENED AND WERE PRETTY
TIRED OF THAT. BUT YES, WE
ACTUALLY IN THE PAST 2 WEEKS
HAVE HAD SEVERAL KIDS
HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID-RELATED
PNEUMONIA AND THAT’S MORE THAN
WHAT WE’VE HAD DURING MAY.
FOR INSTANCE.
>> OKAY. THAT’S SOMETHING THAT
PARENTS NEED TO KNOW. YEAH,
DEFINITELY WHITE. WHY DO YOU
THINK WE’RE I MEAN, IF WE’RE IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE SURGE, ARE WE
AS THE MEDIA LETTING THIS WHOLE
THING DOWN BY NOT TALKING ABOUT
THIS?
>> NO, I THINK I THINK IT’S
IMPORTANT FOR THE MEDIA TO
COVER TO COVER ALL SORTS OF
ISSUES. AND I THINK THIS IS
JUST ONE OF THEM. I THINK THAT,
YOU KNOW, A REMINDER THAT WE
ARE IN, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY AT
THE BEGINNING OF WHAT LOOKS TO
BE A SURGE CURRENTLY, YOU KNOW,
A LOT OF THE NUMBERS ARE
DIFFICULT TO TRACK BECAUSE MOST
PEOPLE, MOST PEOPLE ARE NOW
DOING HOME TESTING AND SO MANY
REPORTED. SO WE MAY BE HAVING A
LOT MORE NUMBERS THAN WHAT THEN
WHAT WE ARE AWARE OF WHAT WE
CAN, BUT WE CAN COUNT, BUT WE
CERTAINLY CAN COUNT
HOSPITALIZATIONS AND THOSE ARE
ON THE RISE. OKAY. YOU’RE A
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE
DOCTOR.
>> WE KNOW THAT JUST FOR THE
PAST FEW DAYS NOW, KIDS AS
YOUNG AS 6 MONTHS OLD, ARE ABLE
TO GET THE PFIZER AND MODERNA
VACCINES. HOW HAVE YOUR
YOUNGEST PATIENTS REACTED TO
THE VACCINE?
>> MOSTLY I THINK I MEAN,
PATIENTS WILL REACT. EXACTLY.
KIDS WILL REACT EXACTLY HOW
THEY REACT TO OTHER VACCINES,
WHICH IS THAT THEY HATE SHOTS
AND NEEDLES. I THINK THAT YOU
KNOW, PARENTS ARE MIXED.
SOME PARENTS ARE REALLY EXCITED
AND THEY CAN’T WAIT TO GET YOU
KNOW, THAT FINAL LITTLE PIECE
OF THE PUZZLE IN THEIR
HOUSEHOLD VACCINATED WHEN
EVERYONE ELSE HAS BEEN
VACCINATED AND OTHER PARENTS
ARE STILL STANDING BY, YOU
KNOW, WANTING WANTING TO SEE
WHAT HAPPENS OR, YOU KNOW, JUST
KEEPING THEIR KIDS UNDER A
LITTLE BIT MORE OF A LABOR
PROTECTION, YOU KNOW, KEEPING
MORE ISOLATED OR WAY FOR THEIR
ACTIVITIES RATHER THAN RATHER
THAN VACCINATING THEM.
>> IF GET YOUR CHILD VACCINATED
OR ARE THERE CERTAIN THINGS
THAT PARENTS SHOULD WATCH OUT
FOR?
>> THE SIDE EFFECTS FOR THE
VACCINE IN YOUNG CHILDREN IS
VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE’VE SEEN
IN THE SCHOOL AGE, CHILDREN AND
THE TEENAGERS, WHICH IS
PRIMARILY, YOU KNOW, A SORE
ARM, NOT UNCOMMONLY TO HAVE
A FEVER FOR A DAY OR 2 AFTER
AND TO FEEL TIRED WITH TO
INCREASE NAPPING AND HEADACHES
AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THOSE
AND THOSE SIDE EFFECTS WILL GO
AWAY. THOSE ARE COMMON AFTER
ANY VACCINE. I GUESS THE
CONCERN IS THAT WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT KIDS AS YOUNG AS 6 MONTHS
OLD TO 2 YEARS OLD. THEY DON’T
THEY CAN SPEAK. THEY CAN’T
REALLY EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT’S
HAPPENING IF THEY’RE DEALING
WITH SIDE EFFECTS. AND THAT
MIGHT BE WHY PARENTS ARE
CONCERNED.
>> THAT’S RIGHT. AND SO, YOU
KNOW, WE YOU KNOW, KIDS WHO ARE
YOUNGER WILL SOMETIMES THEY
WILL FEED AS WELL. THE SLEEP
THEY’LL BE GROUCHY OR IRRITABLE
AND THOSE THOSE THINGS SHOULD
SUBSIDE WITHIN A DAY OR 2.
AND AND THAT’S THE CASE FOR FOR
MOST WINS.
>> SO WE KNOW THE PFIZER AND
MODERNA VACCINES WERE APPROVED
FOR KIDS. THEY ARE 2 DOSE
TREATMENTS. IS THAT THE SAME
FOR KIDS?
>> SO THEY ARE KNOW FOR THE
YOUNGER KIDS. IT’S A LITTLE
BIT DIFFERENT FOR MODERNA,
WHICH IS ACTUALLY A NEW A NEW
OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILDREN.
AND IT’S A 2 DOSE AND THEN BUT
FOR PFIZER TO ACTUALLY A 3 DOSE
SERIES FOR THE KIDS 4 AND
UNDER.
>> OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO ANSWER
AS MANY QUESTIONS AS WE CAN FOR
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING AT
HOME. BUT
OBVIOUSLY YOUR PEDIATRICIAN
IS WHO YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH
FIRST BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO DO
THIS IS WHAT ARE OTHER TIPS
THAT PARENTS SHOULD DO TO
PREPARE FOR THE SHOT THEMSELVES
AND MAYBE PREPARE THEIR KIDS
FOR THE VACCINE.
>> SO I THINK ACTUALLY
INVOLVING THE PEDIATRICIAN IS
IS IS MAYBE THE VERY MOST
IMPORTANT THING THAT A PARENT
CAN DO. FIRST OF ALL, BECAUSE
THE KIDS WHO ARE IN THIS AGE
CATEGORY, THESE THE 6 MONTH TO
FOR YOUR KIDS, OUR KIDS ARE
GETTING OTHER SHOTS. AND SO
THE PEDIATRICIANS JOB IS TO
MAKE THIS MAKE A VACCINE
SCHEDULE FOR EACH CHILD
INDIVIDUALLY, DEPENDING ON WHAT
VACCINES THAT THEY NEED.
AND SO ROLLING THE COVID
VACCINE INTO THAT IS IMPORTANT
KIND OF COORDINATION FOR THE
PEDIATRICIAN TO DO. I ALSO
THINK THAT THAT’S A REALLY
IMPORTANT RESOURCE FOR PARENTS
WHO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT SAFETY
OR NEW SIDE EFFECTS. THAT’S THE
PERSON THAT THEY KNOW AND TRUST
TO SEE THEIR KIDS AND THAT’S
WHO THEY SHOULD BE. TURNING TO
TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE
VACCINE.
>> YOU JUST MENTIONED SOMETHING
THAT I WANT TO GO BACK TO
BABIES THAT ARE THAT YOUNG YOU
JUST MENTIONED AREN’T
COMPLETELY INOCULATED AGAINST
THINGS LIKE THE MMR VIRUS
HEPATITIS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I KNOW THAT YOU’RE TRYING TO
GET PARENTS TO TO GO OUT THERE
AND GET THEIR KIDS VACCINATED.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE RISK
TO KIDS WHO IF THEY’RE NOT
VACCINATED AGAINST COVID AND
ALSO IF THEY HAPPENED TO GET
ANY OF THESE OTHER VIRUSES.
THAT THEY’RE NOT PROTECTED
AGAINST.
>> SURE. SO YOU KNOW, THE RISK
FOR COVID IS IS I MEAN, IT’S
A DISEASE THAT’S CURRENTLY
CIRCULATING IN IN HIGH AMOUNTS,
RIGHT? UNLIKE SOMETHING LIKE
THE MEASLES, RIGHT? SO MEASLES
VACCINE IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND
REALLY EFFECTIVE. BUT WE DON’T
HAVE A LOT OF MEASLES RUNNING
AROUND OR POLIO, BUT WE HAVE
A LOT OF COVID. SO THE THE
IMPACT OF THE VACCINE ON
PREVENTING SOMETHING THAT’S
VERY COMMON IS ACTUALLY PRETTY
IMPORTANT. AND CIS IS LIKE YOU
SAID THESE KIDS ARE GETTING
OTHER VACCINES. AND SO, YOU
KNOW, WE’VE SEEN KIDS WHO TAKE
SOME OF THE KIDS WHO COME IN
HOSPITALIZED, ACTUALLY KIDS WHO
HAVE MORE THAN ONE THEY COME IN
WITH THE FLU AND WAS COVID OR
RSV
AND COVID. AND SO SOME OF THOSE
WE HAVE VACCINES FOR AND SOME
OF THEM, WE DON’T. BUT I THINK
AS MANY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN
PREVENT.
YOUR KIDS FROM BEING BARRAGED
WITH VIRUSES ALL AT ONCE,
THAT’S GENERALLY FOR THE BETTER
HEALTH OF THE KIT. ABSOLUTELY.
AND THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE I MEAN,
THAT THE MAIN REASON THAT YOU
TOOK TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY DAY
TODAY TO TALK TO US IS BECAUSE
YOU WANT TO URGE PARENTS.
>> TO GET THEIR KIDS
VACCINATED.
>> I DO. YOU KNOW, I I MEAN AT
THE PEDIATRICIAN’S, INNOVATIONS
THE SECTOR, BUT I’M A
PEDIATRICIAN AND PEDIATRICIANS.
OUR MISSION IS, YOU KNOW, TO
SAVE CHILDREN’S LIVES INTO KEEP
THEM HEALTHY SO THAT THEY CAN
GROW UP YOU KNOW, BE SUCCESSFUL
IN WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY
WANT TO DO. AND SO, YOU KNOW,
VACCINES HAVE LONG BEEN A PART
OF THE WAY THAT WE KEEP KIDS
HEALTHY. AND I THINK IT’S
EXCITING THAT WE CAN NOW
INCLUDE THIS.
>> INTO THAT VACCINE SCHEDULE
FOR THESE YOUNGER KIDS. ALL
RIGHT, DOCTOR TESS BARTON WITH