COVID-19 Health and Wellness Information |
This Sunday is Halloween, and what better time is there to hear about FDA advisory panel approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11? Many families skipped the yearly tradition of trick-or-treating last year because of the pandemic. While young children will not be able to get vaccinated until late next week at the earliest, Halloween will more closely resemble previous years due to people like you who chose to get the vaccine thus far.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is scheduled to meet and have a recommendation by next week regarding COVID-19 vaccines for 5–11-year-olds and they could be available to the public the following week. Following approval, children will be able to get the vaccine in a UHealth pediatrician’s office during a regular clinic visit.
Most children have thankfully been spared severe illness and death due to COVID-19, but the cases have not been zero. The ability to get kids vaccinated is another step toward getting back to normal. And, that is a treat for all of us.
I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween. I also wish my Hindi, Jain, and Sikh friends a meaningful Diwali (Festival of Lights) starting next week. As always, I am here for any questions regarding vaccines and COVID-19.
Roy E. Weiss, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine
Chair, Department of Medicine
Chief Medical Officer for COVID-19 |
CHILDREN’S DOSINGAs any parent can confirm, children are not just small adults. The Pfizer vaccine for 5-11-year-olds will be given in two 10-microgram doses given three weeks apart. That is a third of the dose given to those 12 years and older, which may seem a little odd. However, vaccine doses are not the same as other medications, given according to weight. For example, the weight of 7-year-olds can vary widely, but their immune systems are functionally similar. However, puberty does affect the immune response. In addition, the data from Pfizer’s clinical trial showed that the lower dosage had a 91 percent efficacy rate while also decreasing the incidence of side effects like fever and chills.
A SIXTH WAVE? A common question regarding COVID-19 is, “Will there be a sixth wave?” The answer is likely yes, but we expect approximately 60 percent of levels seen in the fifth wave. The peak of the sixth wave is projected to occur around mid-December 2021. That is, of course, based on the assumption that no new variants emerge.
Your next question is likely, “How do you come up with that forecasting?” The answer to that is we look at various factors such as vaccination rates, including boosters and among younger children. We also look at factors that may drive growth, like lower risk perceptions and increased travel. That information and other data points are then analyzed using a mathematical model created specifically to offer an extended COVID-19 forecast.
PANDEMIC VS. ENDEMICScientists are still studying what COVID-19 will do further into the future, but most have concluded that the virus is here to stay. In other words, we will move from pandemic to endemic. How that will happen and what that will look like is still unknown.
Some researchers hypothesize that COVID-19 will evolve, similar to other coronaviruses, which are behind the common cold. These tend first to infect infants whose robust immune response limits illness severity and builds up antibodies. Then, as we get older, our immune systems become less efficient, and the virus mutates, so when we come into contact with them, we get an annoying but mild cold.
Others hypothesize that COVID-19 will become more like the flu, which mutates and affects a certain number of people seasonally. In this scenario, we may have a yearly shot that protects us and limits hospitalizations and deaths.
HALLOWEEN SAFETYThis year, due to vaccination rates and a better understanding of COVID-19 transmission, more people can partake in Halloween festivities safely. However, there are certain precautions that everyone should follow, especially if you have younger children in your family who are not yet vaccinated.
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Outside is always better than inside
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Children should not “cluster” in doorways waiting for candy; keep a safe distance between you and children from other households
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Children under 12 should be masked both inside and outside
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A Halloween mask is not a substitute for a regular mask; don’t paint face masks, and don’t wear a costume mask over a face mask.
PANDEMIC LEXICON
Historical events, like a global pandemic, have a way of changing culture. They also have a way of changing our language. That is certainly the case with COVID-19. Editors at the Oxford English Dictionary have had to release special updates to keep up with our new vocabulary. For instance, “infodemic,” “self-isolate,” “self-quarantine,” “shelter in place,” “social distancing,” “elbow bump,” and “flatten the curve” were all added last year. Some of these changes were new words, but most were additions to the definitions of existing words. Great examples are updates to the words “mute” and “unmute” to reflect two words uttered at least once in every video conference. For a good
laugh, see this article from a recent New Yorker magazine, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/07/20/lexicon-for-a-pandemic. |
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We will share more health and wellness news in the next edition. |
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COVID-19 RESOURCES
Students, faculty, and staff on the Coral Gables and Marine campuses who are experiencing possible symptoms consistent with, or who have been potentially exposed to, COVID-19 should contact the University's COVID-19 hotline at 305-243-ONE-U, where UHealth physicians and providers are available to answer your questions and provide telemedicine services if needed.
Members of the Medical Campus should contact 305-243-8378.
For additional University of Miami COVID-19 information and resources, visit coronavirus.miami.edu.
If you are a student in distress or need counseling services, the Counseling Center provides mental health services through HIPAA-compliant teleconferencing platforms. Counselors are certified and available to help any time by calling 305-284-5511. Additional resources are also available by visiting counseling.studentaffairs.miami.edu.
If you are a faculty or staff members in need of support visit fsap.miami.edu. |
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