08/08/2021
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Please read this letter by our Chief Medical Officer published in The Florida Times-Union today:
Get the shot to give children a shot.
As a father, grandfather and pediatrician, I know parenting is tough. Every day, parents and other caregivers make decisions that affect the lives of children who are too young to make informed choices for themselves.
When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit home in early 2020, parents carried an especially heavy burden: balancing home life, work and remote schooling, all while trying to keep kids safe and well. Many felt helpless and even hopeless. In the early days, there wasn’t all that much we could do, aside from taking proper safety precautions.
That’s not the case anymore.
Thankfully, all adults and children 12 and older are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. When parents, preteens and teens get vaccinated, they are protecting not only themselves, but also siblings who are too young to receive the vaccine and the community as a whole.
While COVID-19 symptoms tend to be less severe in children than in adults, it’s a fact that infants, young children and teens can still get very sick. Additionally, kids who have had or have been exposed to COVID may later develop a serious, potentially deadly condition called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). MIS-C can cause different body parts to become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs; it may appear weeks after infection, even in those who didn’t show symptoms.
At Wolfson Children’s Hospital, we’re seeing more children of all ages hospitalized with COVID-19 than ever before. Some require specialized critical care support in our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Many of these children are eligible to receive a vaccine. All parents and grandparents are.
I understand you have questions. Here is what we know:
• The vaccine does not affect fertility. Leading reproductive health organizations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine have debunked this widely spread rumor.
• Pregnancy puts women at higher risk of severe illness from the virus, and the vaccine has shown to be safe for expecting and breastfeeding moms. Pregnant women should talk to their OB/GYN about getting the vaccine.
• Getting vaccinated is your best shot at avoiding serious illness from COVID-19. Though breakthrough infections are expected with any immunization, these vaccines are remarkably effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and even death.
• Last month, COVID-19 admissions to Wolfson Children’s Hospital surpassed our previous high in January 2021. The rate shows no sign of slowing.
And, tragically, more than 1.5 million children around the world have lost a primary or secondary caregiver to COVID-19, according to a recent study published in The Lancet.
I understand COVID vaccination may be a difficult decision to weigh. I simply ask that you root your choices in facts from reputable sources. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to your primary care physician or your child’s pediatrician.
Parents and other caregivers can help Wolfson Children’s turn the tide against COVID-19, but the only way it will happen is if those who are eligible for the vaccine get their shot. That includes children age 12+. Give kids a shot by getting your shot!
Visit covid19.baptistjax.com for COVID-19 and vaccine FAQs, to find a vaccination location and more.
Jerry A. Bridgham, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Wolfson Children’s Hospital of Jacksonville
