Clinics have been vaccinating
some of the youngest Coloradans
for COVID-19 for almost a week,
though six months to four years old
are now eligible for the COVID vaccine.
There is still hesitancy from some
parents to get their kids vaccinated,
a Kaiser Family Foundation poll found
that two in five parents say they're
going to see how the vaccines work
for others before they vaccinate
their own children to talk about the
efforts to get more kids vaccinated.
We have asked Doctor Eric Franz,
Chief Medical Officer for the State
Department of Health and Doctor.
Andy Freeman,
a pediatrician at Children's
Hospital Colorado to join us today,
maybe clear up some of these things.
So we're gonna say let's just start
with the fact that why are parents
who are vaccinated themselves,
saying I don't know if I want
to get my kids vaccinated.
I think it's a hard
thing for us to understand,
but I can't understand it truthfully,
parents are very protective
of their children.
That's what the role of being a parent is,
and so they are trying to get
all the information and.
All the data, and So what I've been
trying to tell all of my patients.
All of my parents is that it is safe.
The studies were good,
they were large and it is time
to get your child vaccinated
and we were just chatting about this in the
commercial break and and doctor France.
The same thing is like sometimes
you hope that a little bit of time
passes and then they start thinking,
well, schools starting.
Or maybe I'm going to go visit the
pediatricians office this summer
just for a checkup and maybe somebody
else will give them that nudge.
Yes, I'm a pediatrician.
For over 30 years, and as we've introduced
new vaccines over that time period,
there's a group that's knocking on your door,
saying, you know, we want it right now.
Yeah, there's another group that says
let me talk with my doctor and OK,
then I'll do it.
And then there's a group that kind of
waits and wants to see how things go
for a while before they jump on the end.
Result though, is that a very large
majority of people become vaccinated
and offer vaccination for their kids,
and so I expect there's no reason that
won't be the same for this vaccine.
It's been very safe,
it's effective and it will be available
widely through primary care offices.
With family, doctors,
pediatricians,
community health clinics over
the summer months,
which is when people bring their kids in
for preschool checkups and school checkups.
So I imagine we'll see a lot of
families choosing to have their
children vaccinated this summer.
It really is the time to do it.
I mean, especially if you
have even minor side effects.
Like if you say I don't feel great today,
do it in the summer months when
you're not in school, exactly.
Let's talk a little bit
about the spike we've seen,
though we have seen COVID numbers
going up as of late. What?
What are your thoughts on that and
and what are we really seeing?
Because so many of us are concerned
that people are doing that home test,
and they're not reporting anyway.
I think that's one thing that's
definitely scary for me as well.
I think we have seen it.
We've seen it within our residency program.
We were seeing it in the community.
I think some of it is related
to we are back and we are doing
things and we're really excited,
but we just have to remember those things
that we did before wash your hands.
Wear your mask.
Get your booster if you haven't done yet.
Those are things that can help
us get through this spike.
As COVID continues to circulate
it. Speaking of Doctor Franz,
we're talking about that booster.
It's time for everybody virtually to get it.
I know we're just getting with the kids,
but do you see that we're like this?
You know, everybody needs to
get on board with this booster,
and then also will this become like an
annual thing where we're all having the good?
The good news now, of course,
is that everybody six months of
age and older is eligible for the
vaccine and everybody 5 and older.
Is eligible for the booster and so
hopefully we've all had our boosters.
I believe that if you've been
boosted and you catch COVID,
your chances of being in an emergency
room in an ICU bed in the hospital
are much lower and so really the
booster and vaccination is really
focusing on keeping people out
of the hospitals for children.
It's about keeping them well preventing
any of those long COVID types of
symptoms that you can see with kids
and making life easier for families
so parents don't have to stay home.
Sick children or worry about exposure in
school or preschool to the same degree.
Plus we know once one kid in
the family gets something,
everybody gets it right and every
other child in the house. It's sharing
and the parents right exactly?
It's like come one, come all Doctor Franz,
Dr Friedman, thank you so much.
You're such great voices of reason
and we hope everybody listens to
the good doctor and does what
they need to do in the months
ahead and our family stay healthy.
Thank you so much. Thank you.