Campaign aims to get more kids 5 to 11 immunized for Covid-19-HEALTHYLIVE

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

A new public-service campaign aimed at getting more of Kentucky's young children vaccinated against the coronavirus places a strong focus on getting parents to talk to their doctor or pediatrician about it. 

"Parents trust their own pediatrician and their own family physician," Ben Chandler, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, said at an online news conference. "They want a personalized recommendation about whether their child ought to get the Covid-19 vaccine or not." 

One of the biggest generators of vaccine hesitancy has been misinformation, so "Being able to get the facts from a trusted adviser, and that trusted adviser, being the pediatrician is really what we're striving to do," said Leon Lamoreaux, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid in Kentucky, which launched the campaign with the foundation.

The campaign, called High Five for Health, was designed to address concerns voiced by parents in focus groups. It provides answers to frequently asked questions and offers five steps for parents to consider when getting their child vaccinated.

The five-step action plan calls on parents to talk with their pediatrician or family doctor, to talk with their child, to schedule the vaccine appointment; to prepare a vaccine-ready kit that includes fluids and a non-aspirin pain reliever; and finally, to get your child vaccinated. 

Chandler said the focus group revealed that parents need to be able to fit a child's vaccine appointment into their busy schedules, and at a time that allows for dealing with possible side effects, including pain, redness and swelling at the injection site or tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills fever or nausea. 

"This is the winter break and this is a great time to get the jab while maybe some of the required activities are not happening," he said.  

Parents also wanted the process to be easy and wanted assurance that a record of the vaccine would be included in their child's medical records, especially if they got the vaccine from someone other than their primary care provider. To this concern, Chandler said it's important to remember that all vaccination records are sent to the state immunization registry. 

"So no matter where you get the Covid-19 vaccine, your doctor will be able to access your child's records," he said. 

At this time, the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 is the only vaccine approved for children 5 to 11. It is one-third of the adult dose and comes in an orange capped vial and is delivered with a smaller needle, designed specifically for children. The vaccine requires two doses, given three weeks apart. To find a location near you that offers the Covid-19 vaccine for this age group, go to vaccine.ky.gov. 

So far, 14% of Kentucky's children between the ages of 5 to 11 have received at lease one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 7% have been fully vaccinated. 

State health department data shows that 21% percent of all Covid-19 cases in Kentucky have been in people under 19, and 7.2% of them have been in children under the age of 9. Ten Kentuckians under the age of 19 have died from Covid-19, two of them under the age of 9. 

"Vaccines are proven safe, and a highly effective way to protect our kids and the entirety of the Commonwealth and we believe that this public service campaign will help to reinforce that critical message to parents and families," said Lamoreaux.

Lamoreaux said Anthem is offering incentives to its providers who encourage the vaccine and to patients who get the Covid-19 vaccine, as are "multiple" other managed care organizations, according to the Kentucky Association of Health Plans spokesman.   

Chandler recognized that one of the reasons some parents aren't rushing to get their children vaccinated is because children don't get sick as often as adults and if they do, most children have mild symptoms or no symptoms. However, he said it's important to get them vaccinated because they do get it and they can spread it to others who are more vulnerable to severe illness, and even death. 

"It's important to talk with parents about creating a wall of immunity around people that you love, around your family, your friends, your community -- basically around those who for one reason or another cannot get vaccinated or who are especially vulnerable," he said. 

In addition, he said parents need to know that the risk of getting the Covid-19 virus is much higher than any possible side effect from the vaccine, especially if a child has asthma, diabetes or other vulnerabilities. 

The PSA does not mention childhood obesity as a vulnerability even though obese children have a greater chance of more severe Covid-19 disease, hospitalization and even death. Kentucky leads the nation in childhood obesity. 

The High Five for Health campaign is a multi-faceted education and awareness effort that includes animated videos, social media graphics, message points and materials for use in doctors' office, youth organizations and various other organizations. Download the toolkit here.

from KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS https://ift.tt/3e2d8RB

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