Dr. Sexter’s work on the COVID-19 vaccine in children under the age of 5 years old has been published in The New England Journal of Medicine.  Check out this link to read the article.

The CDC approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children 5-11 years old on November 2^nd.  Spring Valley Pediatrics is currently vaccinating our patients in this age group.  To schedule an appointment for the vaccine, please call our front desk Monday through Friday from 9am-5pm.  We are working hard to quickly accommodate our families so please be patient and understanding as not everyone can be first.  It is important for your child to receive the vaccine and we stress getting the COVID-19 vaccine at any location if you are not able to get it at our office in a timely fashion.

The information below has been pulled from reputable sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and the FDA.  Links to the primary sources are at the end of this FAQ.  If you have additional questions, please contact your pediatrician.  We always welcome conversations regarding best decisions for your children.

What is the dose of the vaccine for children 5-11 years old and how many will my child need?

The Pfizer vaccine is a 10ug dose and is a two shot series.  The shots should be separated by 21 days.  If it’s been more than 21 days since your first shot, you can and should get a second dose.

Can my child receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as others such as the flu shot?

Yes, the CDC says this vaccine may be administered without regard to timing of other vaccines.  We strongly recommend receiving a flu shot each season.

My 11 year old child weighs as much as a 13 year old.  Should she receive the bigger dose for kids 12+ instead?

No, all children ages 5-11 should receive the 10 ug dose.  The vaccine dosage is based on age, not on size or weight.

My child has tested positive for COVID-19.  Should he receive the vaccine and when?

Yes, it is important to vaccinate people who have had the illness as well.  Your child should be vaccinated once he has recovered from the acute illness and has met criteria to discontinue isolation.  Data also shows that it is safe to give the vaccine to children who have already been infected with the novel coronavirus.  We also know that natural immunity from infection decreases overtime; vaccination helps to increase protection.

What side effects should I be prepared for in my child after vaccination?

The FDA noted that the medical data showed children may actually experience fewer side effects than adolescents or young adults.  If your child does have side effects, they tend to be mild and include pain, swelling, or erythema at the injection site; fever, fatigue, headache, chills, myalgia (body aches), arthralgia (joint pain), or lymphadenopathy (enlarged lymph nodes).  It is safe to give your child acetaminophen or ibuprofen afterwards if she is uncomfortable.

There was a lot in the news about myocarditis risk after vaccine.  Is that a concern in this age group as well?

Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and/or pericarditis (inflammation of the pericardium around the heart) have occurred rarely in some people after vaccination against COVID-19 (though it is more common to have it after COVID-19 infection).  This was noted primarily in 12-29 year old males.  In fact no cases of myocarditis or pericarditis were reported in the clinical trial for children 5-11 years old.  While it is impossible to say that there is no risk of this complication after vaccination, it is a rare and unlikely event.

Isn’t the risk of COVID-19 to kids really low?  Is it really necessary to vaccinate my 5-11 year old child?

Children are certainly at lower risk of developing severe disease from COVID-19 infection, but they are not exempt from it.  Throughout the pandemic, infected children have experienced both short and long-term health complications as well as continued spread to others.  There is also the risk of multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), a serious complication of COVID-19 infection that can be fatal.  COVID-19 is now one of the leading causes of death in children.

By getting vaccinated, children 5-11 years old are not only protecting themselves but also their communities.  The more people vaccinated, the slower spread of the virus which decreases the opportunities for it to mutate into a more severe variant like we have seen with the Delta strain.  Vaccinating this age group is an important step in controlling the novel coronavirus.

The FDA: Comirnaty and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine

CDC: COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens

Dr. Sexter got to talk to WUSA9 about the COVID-19 vaccine trial for kids.  Click here to hear her interview and read more!

Summer is just around the corner and after many months of limited activities during a long winter in a pandemic, many parents and children are looking forward to being outside and enjoying summer camp activities.  There are important physical and mental health benefits to summer camp.  Summer camps offer children opportunities for peer interaction, increased independence, leadership roles, exercise and the challenge of trying new things.  These experiences are even more significant given the social limitations that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on children.  It will be important for parents to find summer camps that help children reestablish these important social connections while maintaining the important COVID-19 risk mitigation strategies to keep children healthy while at camp.  Below are some guidelines to consider when thinking about day camp and sleepaway camp for your children.

Day Camps

• All camps should follow the CDC’s guidelines to maintain healthy environments for campers.  How will your camp implement these guidelines?
• Creating a Healthy Camp Environment:  Camps should be clear that any camper or counselor experiencing COVID symptoms must remain at home and obtain a COVID test before returning to camp.  What are your camps protocols on daily screenings and quarantine requirements for exposed campers and/or staff?
• Face Masks:  All campers and counselors should wear face masks.  Exceptions include children under 2 years of age or anyone that is having difficulty breathing.    
• Physical Distancing:  Campers should maintain a physical distance of 6 feet.  Physical distancing is particularly important during times of high intensity activity.  How will the camp accommodate increased spacing of campers and counselors?
• Limit Carpooling: Unvaccinated campers should ride to camp with people in their own household.  
• Hygiene: Campers and staff should wash hands frequently.  Surfaces and shared objects should be wiped down often.
• How many of the staff/counselors are vaccinated?  
• How will camps monitor campers and staff daily for COVID-19 symptoms while at camp?  If a child develops symptoms, how will the camp manage sick children and facilitate their safe departure?  Will the camp notify other families if a child tests positive for COVID and what will the policy be?
• What will be the maximum number of campers per group?  Will the same staff be assigned to the same group everyday?
• How and how often will shared areas (bathrooms, lunch tables and craft rooms) be cleaned?

Sleepaway Camps

Most sleepaway camps plan to create a “bubble” this summer for children.  In order to do this, children and families will need to limit high risk activities and avoid large gatherings during the week before camp starts.  Most camps will require a COVID test before the camper arrives and many will perform COVID testing on campus once the camper arrives.  Questions to consider when thinking about sleepaway camps are the following:

• How will camps structure the first week of camp?  Will the camp be able to perform COVID screening tests on all campers once they arrive at camp?  How many times will the campers be tested during the first week?  Will the camp be able to test throughout the duration of the camp session?  
• Have most of the staff/counselors received the COVID vaccine?
• Will children wear masks during the first few days of camp?  Will the children be in cohorts for the first week or for the entire camp session?  
• How will the camp utilize and maximize outdoor spaces?
• Will any activities take place indoors?
• Where will children eat?  Inside or outside?
• How will the camp implement the CDC’s guidance on hand hygiene and increased sanitization of charred surfaces?
• Does the camp plan to hold parent visiting days?  Unfortunately, most camps will not be able to have camp visiting days as the arrival of many people outside the camp bubble carries the risk of bringing COVID into the camp environment.  If your child’s camp is hosting a visiting day, it is important to ask the camp how they plan to mitigate the risk of COVID exposure.   
• What is the camp’s plan for a child that has developed COVID like symptoms?  Have they created a place to isolate sick children?  Will the camper be sent home to recuperate and when can they return to camp?  And of course, if a camper does test positive for COVID, how will the camp manage quarantining bunkmates and other staff or campers exposed to the sick camper?  

Sports Camps

It is important that children, who have not been competing and practicing athletics at the same level as they did pre-COVID, return to sports slowly.  An emphasis on increasing strength and conditioning is very important to limit injuries in athletes who are undoubtedly not in the same physical shape that they were before the pandemic.  Sports camps and parents should be particularly aware of the importances of returning to sports slowly and carefully to mitigate risk of injury.

Sports Post-COVID

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that any child that was diagnosed with COVID in the past 6 months,  even asymptomatic infections,  must be seen in person and evaluated by a pediatrician to be cleared to return to sports.

There are so many important medical and mental health benefits of summer camp for children and being able to return safely to camp will be an exciting and long awaited experience for many.  It is important to consider each child’s underlying medical history and to weigh the risks and benefits of returning to camp.  If you have specific questions about summer camp for your child, please don’t hesitate to call to discuss with your pediatrician at Spring Valley. 

We are currently offering the Pfizer vaccine for our patients aged 5 and above.  Please call the office Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm to schedule an appointment.

The CDC also has a COVID-19 Vaccination Location finder that can help connect you to the closest vaccine site.  Similarly, CVS allows patients to sign up for vaccine appointments throughout the area.  More area specific websites are listed below.

WASHINGTON, DC

• To register in The District of Columbia
• To register your child aged 12-15 for the Pfizer vaccine at Children’s National

VIRGINIA

• To register in Virginia (except for Fairfax County)
• To register in Fairfax County

MARYLAND

• To register in Montgomery County
• To register in Prince George’s County
• To register in Charles County
• For Maryland vaccination clinic finder