FDA AUTHORIZED THE PFIZER VACCINE FOR KIDS AGES 12 TO 15
YEARS OLD TOMORROW OR TEENAGERS IF YOU WILL TOMORROW THE CDC
NEEDS TO DECIDE IF IT’S GOING TO DO THE VERY SAME HERE TO ANSWER
YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT AND SO MUCH MORE.
IS DR. TODD ELLORIN CHIEF OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AT SOUTH
SHORE HEALTH DOCTOR?
THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR JOINING US.
WE ARE GETTING A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM OUR VIEWERS ABOUT
THIS NEW AGE GROUP.
FIRST ONE THAT WE HAVE.
HOW CAN DOCTORS SAY THAT THERE ARE NO LONG-TERM HEALTH RISKS
FOR KIDS IF THESE VACCINES HAVE REALLY REALISTICALLY ONLY BEEN
AVAILABLE FOR A SHORT TIME.
IT’S A GOOD QUESTION MARIA AND REMEMBER THE FDA LOOKS THROUGH A
LENS OF SAFETY SAFETY IS MOST IMPORTANT WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO
GIVE AN EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATION FOR THESE KIDS.
REMEMBER SOMETHING THOUGH.
WE HAVE A LONG HISTORY WITH MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF VACCINES.
WE KNOW THAT IF YOU DON’T SEE SIDE EFFECTS AFTER THE FIRST
FOUR OR SIX WEEKS AFTER BACK VACCINATION, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO
SEE LONG-TERM SIDE EFFECTS.
SO, OF COURSE WE HAVEN’T HAD THIS VACCINE AROUND FOR YEARS,
BUT WE’VE HAD MANY OTHERS AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT WE CAN BE VERY
CONFIDENT THAT THESE ARE EXTREMELY SAFE VACCINES FOR
ADULTS AND IT’S LOOKING THE SAME WAY FOR KIDS WHICH IS WHY THE
CDC WILL LIKELY RECOMMEND TOMORROW THAT IT’S USED IN AD.
SINCE AGE 12 TO 15 AND SO DR. T.
HERE’S ANOTHER ONE MANY OF THE KIDS IN THIS AGE GROUP, BUT JUST
STARTING TO GO THROUGH PUBERTY.
SO COULD THE VACCINE HAVE ANY IMPACT ON THEIR DEVELOPMENT OR
THEIR ABILITY TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE FUTURE?
ANY WE’RE GETTING THIS A LOT AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR.
THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC OR BIOLOGIC PLAUSIBILITY FOR ANY
REASON THAT THE VACCINE SHOULD INTERFERE WITH PUBERTY OR
HORMONES OR OR FERTILITY.
AND BY THE WAY, WE HAVEN’T SEEN THAT WITH COVID YET.
THERE’S NO EVIDENCE THAT COVID INFECTION LEADS TO INFERTILITY
OR PROBLEMS WITH HORMONES.
SO THERE’S NO REASON TO THINK THAT THE VACCINE WILL AS WELL
EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE ARE SAYING THE COVID VACCINE LEADS TO
INFERTILITY.
THAT IS MISINFORMATION.
AND THAT’S AN ECHO CHAMBER THAT WE WANT TO TRY TO REALLY FIGURE
OUT THE TRUTH AND NOT LISTEN TO THAT LINE OF REASONING.
THIS NEXT ONE IS FROM A MOM.
WHO’S 13 YEAR OLD SON HAS A HEART MURMUR AND SHE WANTED TO
KNOW COULD THAT PUT HIM AT HIGHER RISK FOR COMPLICATIONS OR
SIDE EFFECTS IF HE GETS THE VACCINE?
SO THE ANSWER IS NO AND THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THIS VACCINE HAS
BEEN GIVEN TO WELL OVER A BILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD
MANY OF THEM WITH HEART MURMURS.
ONE FORM OR ANOTHER AND THERE DOESN’T SEEM TO BE ANY ISSUES.
THERE’S NO CARDIAC OR HEART SIDE EFFECTS, BUT EVEN IN KIDS THIS
YOUNG THOUG I’M STARTING TO INTERRUPT.
THAT’S OKAY.
BUT REMEMBER WE’VE SEEN IT IN THE CLINICAL TRIALS WITH PFIZER
HAD OVER 2,300 PATIENTS THAT WERE THERE WERE THAT AGE.
WE’VE HAD 16 AND 17 YEARS OLD.
SO THERE’S BEEN NO ISSUE SO FAR.
NO REASON TO THINK TO BE ANY PROBLEMS TWO THUMBS UP TO THAT
CHILD.
ALL RIGHT.
SO THIS THIS NEXT PART IS THE NEXT QUESTION IS A TWO-PART
QUESTION FIRST.
IT IS WE KNOW THAT IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT THE VACCINE SEEMS TO
CAUSE MORE SIDE EFFECTS THAN YOUNGER PEOPLE.
IS THAT FAIR TO SAY?
YES, AND NO MORE INJECTION SITE REACTIONS REDNESS SWELLING, BUT
ACTUALLY LESS REACTOGENICITY LESS FEVERS LESS EGG.
SO YES, THERE’S MORE INJECTIONS THAT REACTIONS.
WE KNOW AS YOU GET OLDER THOSE INJECTION SITE REACTIONS GET
LESS THE ELDERLY ARE THE LEAST LIKELY TO REPORT THAT REDNESS
SWELLING PAIN AT THE INJECTION.
SO GIVEN THAT DISCOMFORT OR MAYBE EVEN SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN
THAT SHOULD PARENTS PLAN TO LET THEIR KIDS STAY HOME FROM SCHOOL
AFTER EACH SHOT.
WOULDN’T THAT BE NICE?
UM, I YOU KNOW, I DON’T WANT TO GIVE A FREE VACATION DAY.
LISTEN, THE TRUTH IS MOST OF THESE SIDE EFFECTS BY THE WAY
ARE MILD TO MODERATE.
SO MOST KIDS WILL BE ABLE TO GO TO SCHOOL.
WILL THERE BE SOME KIDS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE A HIGH FEVER OR
SOMETHING ELSE AND AND BE BETTER STAYING HOME?
SURE.
THEY DR. TIM MUSSELTOP ON BRETT SPERMITZER OVER THE WEEKEND.
I THINK GUYS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
CONGRATULATIONS SPEAKIN