The Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved COVID-19 vaccines for the youngest group thus far—children from 6 months old to 5 years old.
Santa Barbara County Health Officer Henning Ansorg said he was really excited that the vaccines were finally approved for little kids.
“It may be a misunderstanding that kids don’t get sick. It’s an oversimplification, and unfortunately some kids [can get] very ill with COVID,” Ansorg said.
In California, about 2 million children got sick, 200,000 were hospitalized, and 200 died due to the virus, he estimated.
“Any child death is one too many,” Ansorg said. “It’s not a mild illness. It may be for most [children], but there are definitely significant risks. The protections for these high risks are absolutely crucial.”
The county received 1,400 initial doses that will be distributed to various providers in northern Santa Barbara County—including at Dignity Health, county-affiliated health care centers, and private pediatric practices. The Walgreens on Broadway in Santa Maria will also vaccinate children, but only for ages 3 and older. Ansorg recommended families contact their primary care provider first to see if they have vaccines available.
Doses will look different for this group, Ansorg explained, with lower amounts administered per dosage compared to older age groups.
“Moderna has a higher dose than the Pfizer vaccine,” he said. “For those little kids under 5, they will receive 25 percent of the [Moderna] dose for adults; Pfizer is 10 percent.”
Kids getting the Moderna vaccine will receive two shots with a three week time period in between—much like the vaccine schedule for adults. With a lower dose, Pfizer has a three-dose requirement—the second dose administered in three weeks, and then the third after an additional four, Ansorg explained.
“In the end, they are both very effective, and the Moderna vaccine didn’t show higher side effect or reaction rates. I would be very hard-pressed to recommend one over the other,” he said. “Side effects are similar to routine vaccines for children like arm ache, headaches, or a slight fever. It seems to be really well tolerated. [With] a new vaccine, there’s a system in place to report potential side effects after vaccination, and we encourage every parent and every doctor to report that diligently.”
However, he emphasized that the virus itself is a greater risk than the vaccine.
“We have about 28,000 children in this age bracket in Santa Barbara County. That’s a significant amount of the population. If they are eligible for the vaccine—and therefore more likely to be immune—it will help the whole population overall,” he said.
Having more virus immunity helps equip all county residents for any future waves of the virus and its mutations.
“It’s hard to predict, but having seen that the virus learns how to evade immunity quickly, it’s very conceivable that they [children] will need repeated shots. But the sequence or time frame is very unknown at this point. Since we are looking at a new disease, we don’t know yet,” Ansorg added.
Concerned parents should consult their child’s pediatrician or other care providers to learn more about the vaccine or visit the county’s public health website at publichealthsbc.org, where information will get frequently updated.
Highlights:
• The Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau invites the community to celebrate Santa Barbara County’s newest Legal Aid Foundation location—which will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 30 at 102 E. Ocean Ave. The nonprofit law firm provides free legal assistance to low-income and other vulnerable residents in Lompoc and Santa Barbara County. Its vision is to support a community where low-income people are empowered to thrive and all residents have meaningful access to the civil justice system. For more information, call the Lompoc Chamber at (805) 736-4567. To learn more about the foundation, visit lafsbc.org.
• The Lompoc Parks and Recreation department invited the community to its Fourth of July Family Fun Day, a free event that will be held from noon to 4 p.m. at Ryon Park (800 W. Ocean Ave.). A patriotic bike parade kicks off the event starting at the Lompoc Veterans Memorial Building—100 E. Locust Ave.—and ending at Ryon Park. Community members are invited to the celebration’s picnic in the park with live music, food trucks, inflatables, and face-painting. Fireworks aren’t allowed at the event; pets must be on a leash; and smoking, vaping, and alcohol consumption won’t be permitted.
Reach Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor at toconnor@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jun 30 – Jul 7, 2022.