Olmsted County, Mayo Clinic, and Olmsted Medical Center video forum on Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for 5- to 11-year-olds

A new COVID-19 video is available on the Olmsted County Public Health Services (OCPHS) YouTube page that answers COVID-19 questions about the Pfizer vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds.

On Monday, November 22, 2021, Viv Williams from the Post Bulletin moderated a forum with OCPHS Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Amy Evans, Olmsted Medical Center Pediatrician Dr. Peter Arndt, and Mayo Clinic Pediatrician Dr. Robert Jacobson. The three speakers gathered to address the importance of adding the 5- to 11- year-old population into the county’s vaccinated group. Some of the specific questions answered by the panelists in the video include:

• Will my child experience side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine that could interfere with school or sports?
• Does getting the COVID-19 vaccine mean my child can stop wearing their mask and taking coronavirus precautions?
• Will the vaccine get approved for children younger than five?

This COVID-19 video on the Pfizer vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds comes as families prepare for the holiday season. Getting children vaccinated against COVID-19 is a critical step to protect children and adolescents age five and older from contracting and spreading the virus.

“The bottom line is that parents need to remember this is an opportunity for them to give their child protection from harm as well as protecting their loved one from the child bringing the infection home,” Dr. Jacobson said during the forum. “This is an opportunity for the family to get their family back on track and keep their children in school.”

Parents can find vaccines for their children by contacting their primary care provider or by using the Minnesota Department of Health Vax for Kids webpage. Parents can also learn more about the vaccine through the Olmsted County COVID-19 webpage or from the CDC’s page on COVID-19 vaccines for children and teens.