BISMARCK — North Dakota vaccine providers will soon begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations to children ages 12-15, potentially providing a jumpstart to the state's stagnating inoculation campaign.
The state Department of Health, Sanford, Essentia and other providers announced Thursday, May 13, they will open up appointments for children 12 and up to get the Pfizer vaccine. Minnesota has already outlined plans to start immunizing youth.
The move comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine authority approved the shot for emergency use in people 12 and older earlier this week. The other two available vaccines — Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — are only authorized for adults 18 and up.
State immunization manager Molly Howell said North Dakota is recommending parents take their eligible children to get vaccinated to help further diminish the risk that COVID-19 will spread in their communities. Vaccine trials found the Pfizer shots were 100% effective in children ages 12-15.
Other vaccine makers are conducting trials in efforts to gain approval for use in children, and Pfizer expects to have authorization for children ages 2-11 in September, Howell said.
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Though children generally suffer fewer health consequences than older adults after catching COVID-19, one North Dakota 17-year-old died from the disease, and 20 children between 12-17 have been hospitalized during the pandemic, according to the state health department. Overall, about 13% of North Dakota children over 12 have tested positive for the virus, and cases in the age group soared in the last three months.
Howell noted early research suggests children who come down with the disease can experience long-term symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue and muscle pain. She said she heard about star high school athletes who never fully recaptured peak performance levels after contracting COVID-19, as well as good students who struggled to focus in the classroom.
Vaccination rates in many North Dakota counties began to plateau in recent weeks as skepticism of the vaccine permeates through the public conscience. Health experts say concerns about the safety of the available jabs are rooted in misinformation, and residents should have no fear of serious vaccine-induced side effects unless they have an allergy to an ingredient of the drug.
Several top doctors in the state said last week that North Dakota's pursuit of herd immunity from COVID-19 will be dependent on vaccine uptake among children, which they worried would fall too low to prevent the disease from continuing to spread. Howell noted a national survey suggested about half of parents are willing to vaccinate their children — below the state's 70% goal.
Howell said it would be "challenging" to get high rates of vaccination among kids since many parents won't take the jab, but public health workers and physicians will keep pushing the vaccine.
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