COVID-19 vaccines for young children could be offered in Oregon by Monday
COVID-19 vaccines for young children could be available in Oregon as early as Monday, and state health officials are urging parents to take advantage of them as soon as possible.
“Though rates of COVID-19 are lower in children, children can still get infected and become very sick,” Dr. Dean Sidelinger, Oregon state epidemiologist and health officer, said during a Friday news conference.
“The rate of hospitalization for COVID-19 children, for children younger than 5, soared during the omicron peak in early 2022,” he said.
On Friday morning, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children younger than 5 and the Moderna vaccine for children younger than 6.
Neither is approved for children younger than 6 months old.
The move still needs approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and, in Oregon, from the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup. Both are expected over the weekend, Sidelinger said.
State health officials estimate there are about 230,000 Oregonians between 6 months and 5 years old who will soon be eligible for vaccination.
Oregon's current wave has peaked, but spread remains high
Oregon’s current COVID-19 wave likely peaked on June 5, with 327 hospitalized patients with COVID-19, Sidelinger said. There were 290 reported on June 14.
Case counts are leveling off, he said, rising slightly from a rolling 7-day average of 1,401 on May 16 to 1,487 on June 14.
Test positivity also rose slightly during that period, from 11.4% to 11.7%.
But officials assume the numbers are a dramatic undercount, Sidelinger said.
For every reported case, there are likely 20 or 30 more that are unreported, Sidelinger said.
That’s because the results of home tests are not reported, and those with mild or no symptoms may not test at all.
“We are seeing a high level of spread that is similar to what we had during the omicron and delta surges,” Sidelinger said.
Parents can choose between vaccines
Parents have two choices to vaccinate young children:
The Pfizer vaccine is available for children aged 6 months to four years. The series includes three shots.
The Moderna vaccine is available for children six months to 5 years. The series includes two shots.
Full immunity will take about 13 weeks with the Pfizer vaccine, compared with six weeks with the Moderna vaccine, said Dawn Nolt, professor of pediatrics at OHSU School of Medicine. But temporary side effects may be more severe with the Moderna vaccine, she said.
"Both vaccines will significantly lower the child’s risk of infection and severe symptoms and hospitalization, and we recommend that families get their child vaccinated with the first vaccine that’s available," Nolt said.
Vaccines for young children will be available at doctor’s offices and medical clinics. Because Monday is a holiday, some may not be open until Tuesday.
Tracy Loew is a reporter at the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at tloew@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6779 or on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: COVID-19 vaccines for young children could be offered in Oregon by Monday
