Parents of Peachtree Park Pediatrics,
Dear parents of Peachtree Park Pediatrics,
We continually strive to provide you with the most up to date information on the COVID-19 pandemic. Read on for pandemic-related updates including the latest guidelines for quarantine and isolation, vaccine recommendations for children, new mass testing sites, and more.
Update on Isolation and Quarantine
The CDC has further refined its recommendations on isolation (when sick or a positive test) and quarantine (after exposure to someone with COVID).
As reported by UPI, the CDC clarified that a negative COVID test is recommended, but NOT required to leave isolation after 5 days.
Updated Recommendations for Pfizer Vaccine for Children
- Booster doses are now approved and recommended for children 12 and older
- Booster doses can be given 5 months after completing the initial series
- Children as young as 5 with compromised immune symptoms should get 3 doses in their initial vaccine series
- Please call the office to schedule any needed doses of vaccine. Due to vaccine supply and appointment availability, we may not always be able to accommodate patients needing COVID vaccine doses. Your child can receive the vaccine at any location that has it available.
State Opens Mega Testing Sites
To meet the demand for COVID-19 testing, the state has opened large testing sites in Cobb and DeKalb Counties.
Low Risk of Serious Vaccine Side Effects in Younger Children
The CDC reports that “Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine caused mostly mild side effects in children aged 5 to 11 years.”
“The data showed that after the second dose of the vaccine some children reported injection-site pain and other systemic reactions such as fatigue and headache.” Over 97% of reported reactions were not serious.
Updated Data on Pfizer Vaccine Under 5 Due in April
Pfizer recently announced that it “expects the latest results from a clinical trial for kids under the age of 5 of the COVID-19 vaccine it developed by April.”
“In December, Pfizer said it was changing the design of the trial because children between the ages of 2 and 4 who were given two 3-microgram doses of the vaccine did not have the same immune response that a larger dose of the vaccine generated in older children.”
“The study has been amended to give a third dose to everybody who’s less than five at least eight weeks after their last vaccination,” said a Pfizer researcher.
“Up to Date” vs. “Fully Vaccinated”
U.S. health officials decided recently to “keep the existing definition of fully vaccinated — either two doses of the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.”
“’Individuals are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 if they’ve received their primary series,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. “That definition is not changing. We are now recommending that individuals stay up to date with additional doses that they are eligible for.’”
Omicron Accounts for Over 95% of new Cases
“Omicron was first identified in South Africa and classified by the World Health Organization as a variant of concern in November. It has swept through the U.S. since being detected in California on Dec. 1.”
See: Bloomberg – Omicron Now Accounts for 95% of U.S. Covid Cases, CDC Says
Vaccine Does Not Increase Risk for Preterm Birth
“The COVID-19 vaccine does not pose an increased risk of preterm births or small-for-gestational age (SGA) births, a CDC study found, further supporting the vaccine’s safety among pregnant people.”
See: The Hill – COVID-19 vaccine does not pose increased risk of preterm births: CDC study
“Officials have expressed concern about lower vaccine uptake among pregnant people in the pandemic. Pregnant women with symptomatic COVID-19 are two times more likely to have to be admitted to the intensive care unit, to undergo invasive ventilation and to die than women who aren’t pregnant.”
Hospitalized Children and Severe Illness
“Many pediatric patients with COVID-19-related hospitalization have severe illness” according to CDC data published recently.
“About two-thirds of those hospitalized had one or more underlying medical condition, most commonly obesity. Only one of the vaccine-eligible patients hospitalized with COVID-19 was fully vaccinated.”
We encourage everyone to continue to use good hand hygiene and practice social distancing as much as possible. Please contact our office with any further questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Peachtree Park Pediatrics
For reliable, up-to-date information about COVID-19, visit:
- From the CDC: Coronavirus Disease 2019
- From the AAP: 2019 Novel Coronavirus
Peachtree Park Pediatrics strives to deliver up-to-date primary care to our infant, child, and young adult patients in a welcoming and family-friendly environment. The practice has deep roots in the Atlanta community, and it is our continued honor to be entrusted with the health care of our next generation.
