CTT #35: How young is too young to be vaccinated?

As vaccines get rolled out to younger and younger Americans, parents have questions and are raising serious concerns. Polls show just half of U.S. parents plan to get their children vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as they can, according to the latest Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

But what does the science say about vaccinating children? The efficacy data look promising. Pfizer recently announced its vaccine is 100% effective in protecting against Covid-19 infection in children ages 12-15. The company has already begun trials in children six months to 11 years old, which raises the question: How young is too young to be vaccinated?

In this episode of Coronavirus: The Truth, Jeremy Corr and Dr. Pearl discuss that coronavirus topic and many others. Here are the questions that were asked and answered [and when] on this week’s show:

[00:55] Each show begins with the most recent and relevant facts concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on American life. What’s happening and what does it mean?

[04:27] What has gone right with the Covid-19 vaccine and what problems remain? (see Dr. Pearl’s latest Forbes article for more on this)

[12:22] Is the vaccine rollout a national case study in haves vs. have nots?

[16:46] How soon after being vaccinated do people have immunity? How safe is it to travel?

[20:30] With no more than 250 million people needing the vaccine to reach herd immunity, why has the U.S. purchase 600 million vaccine doses?

[26:03] What’s up with AstraZeneca?

[28:23] What’s good this week?

[31:17] What do polls say about the willingness of Americans to be vaccinated?

[33:11] Who’s getting sick from Covid-19 now that most elderly people are vaccinated?

[35:35] Why aren’t the media covering the extremely high risk obesity poses to Covid-19 patients and our nation as whole?

[43:16] What’s it going to take to convince vaccine hesitant Americans that the shots are safe and effective and far better than getting Covid-19?

[48:06] Why are the Chinese and Russians outpacing the U.S. in terms of helping vaccinate citizens around the world? Is America at risk of losing its global reputation and influence?

[50:11] Listener question: “For so long there appeared to be a vaccine shortage. Why are states now offering vaccines to practically everyone?”

[52:26] Should kids get vaccinated? How young is too young?

This episode is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and other podcast platforms.

If you have coronavirus questions for the hosts, please visit the contact page or send us a message on Twitter or LinkedIn.

*To ensure the credibility of this program, Coronavirus: The Truth refuses to accept sponsorship, outside funding sources or guests with any financial or personal conflicts of interest.

The post CTT #35: How young is too young to be vaccinated? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.