Lee Health to make COVID vaccine available for children
As hospitalizations for the coronavirus have begun to level off in Lee County, Lee Health announced this week that it expects to order COVID-19 vaccines for children and begin vaccinations as soon as possible.
According to a statement released by Lee Health, the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control’s approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for ages 5-11 means Lee Health can order doses for the age group.
“I strongly encourage all parents to have their children vaccinated as soon as it is available,” Dr. Stephanie Stovall, chief quality and patient safety officer at Lee Health, said.
“The vaccine underwent vigorous trials and studies; it is safe and effective. Getting your child vaccinated against COVID-19 will help keep them safe in school and extracurricular activities. The vaccine will also help prevent children from spreading the virus to older and more at-risk family members during the holiday season,” she said. “More than 300 children have been admitted to Golisano Children’s Hospital with COVID-19, so getting your child vaccinated could keep them out of the hospital as well. The vaccine also helps prevent post-COVID complications in children like multi-system inflammatory syndrome.”
Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 patients isolated at Lee Health hospitals stayed steady with 32 hospitalizations on Nov. 8 — the same as the previous Monday. Of the patients, one of them was a child being treated at the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.
The number of hospitalizations for COVID-19 at Lee Health has leveled off after dropping sharply over the past two months. Lee Health experienced a surge of COVID-19 cases in August and early September after the delta wave hit the region.
There have been more than 3.6 million cases of coronavirus confirmed statewide and 60,334 deaths as of Nov. 5. The number of deaths tallied by the Florida Department of Health rose from 59,670 the previous week. The total number of deaths from COVID-19 in Lee County since the pandemic began is more than 1,400 based on Centers for Disease Control and Lee Health figures. The Florida Department of Health ceased releasing caseline data on COVID-19 deaths in May.
Lee County has had 125,270 coronavirus cases as reported by the Florida Department of Health.
The vaccination rate for Lee County is 69 percent for those ages 12 and older, behind the 73 percent rate for the state.
VACCINATION EVENT PLANNED FOR CHILDREN
The Golisano Children’s Hospital will host a vaccination event tailored especially for children on Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to noon, which will take place outside the main entrance of the children’s hospital.
Anyone 5 years old and older who has not yet received their COVID-19 vaccine is encouraged to attend. Though the event is focused on children, adults are welcome to come and receive their vaccine if they have not already.
The vaccine offered at the event will be Pfizer, which is approved for use in those 5 years old and older, and will be administered Saturday as supplies last.
The event will be staffed with pediatric registered nurses to administer the vaccine, in addition to a paramedic, pharmacist and customer service team to assist in the process.
A Pain Ease spray will be on-hand to put on the injection site to alleviate any discomfort or fear of needles that children sometimes have. There will also be distraction items, like bubble wands, Play-Doh and other small toys, that children can play with to help take their mind off getting a shot. After getting their vaccine, children will get a special sticker.
The event is walk-up only, and there is no cost for the vaccine. A parent or authorized guardian must accompany a minor for vaccination. The second dose will take place at the hospital on Dec. 4.
For more information about children’s vaccinations, visit GolisanoChildrensSWFL.org.
To reach NATHAN MAYBERG / nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com, please email