HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – As the CDC and the FDA approve COVID-19 boosters for adults, a South Florida hospital begins to offer the vaccine for children.
Advisers for the CDC voted unanimously to recommend booster doses of Pfizer/BioNTech’s and Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccines for all adults in the United States.
Adults 18 and over can receive their boosters, six-months after receiving the first series of COVID-19 vaccines.
As initially reported, the initial series served as a reliable source of protection against the virus, but it does wear off over time.
“Especially for younger people, the first type of immunity that will decline are those antibody levels that protect you against mild infection,” said Rossana Rosa, M.D., Jackson Health System.
This comes as more and more south Florida hospitals receive the vaccine for children. One patient received his first dose at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Broward County this week. It was part of the very first shipment.
We have seen the headlines about vaccine hesitancy for children, and in some cases, children receiving the wrong vaccine dose. But medical experts say this should not be a deterrent, because the science is showing that the vaccine for kids ages five to11 is safe.
“It’s very important for pediatricians and family medicine practitioners to be ready to have this conversation with family members, because ultimately that is the most trusted voice when it comes to healthcare,” said Dr. Rosa.
For information on where COVID-19 vaccines are available in South Florida, click here.