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Children
12 and older are currently eligible to get the COVID vaccine. Clinical
trials with children under 12 are underway with authorization expected to
come later this fall. With the Delta variant resulting in increasing
COVID cases among children, along with adults, and rising
hospitalizations among those unvaccinated, there is growing urgency to
get children vaccinated when eligible.
“As a
pediatrician, I am very concerned about the rapid increase in children
who are being infected and hospitalized with COVID due to the Delta
variant,” said AAP President, Lee Savio Beers, MD, FAAP. “Vaccination is
the best way to protect children 12 and older. And for those children who
are not yet eligible to be vaccinated, families can protect them by
getting vaccinated themselves. This is part of a layered approach that
includes hand washing, physical distancing and wearing masks as kids
return to school."
According
to a data analysis by the AAP, as of August 19, nearly 4.6
million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the
pandemic. Over 180,000 cases were added from the week prior, a continuing
substantial increase. After declining in early summer, child cases have
steadily increased since the beginning of July.
“The
surge in COVID cases as children return to school has many parents
anxious about how best to protect their families. Parents trust
pediatricians more than everyone else when it comes to information on
vaccinating their kids. This campaign provides resources that build on
that trust,” said KFF President and CEO Drew Altman.
According
to recent
findings from the KFF COVID Vaccine Monitor, pediatricians are
the top trusted source of information on COVID-19 for parents. Among
parents of teens who discussed the vaccine with their pediatrician, most
say the doctor recommended their child get vaccinated, and three-quarters
of those whose pediatrician recommended vaccination say their child has
received at least one shot.
“Children
across the country are returning to in-person learning at a time when the
dominant strain of COVID is more contagious than ever. So many parents
and caregivers are rightfully concerned about how to protect their kids,”
said Rhea Boyd, MD, MPH, pediatrician and public health advocate, who
co-developed THE
CONVERSATION / LA CONVERSACIÓN with KFF and appears in the
current messaging about kids and the COVID vaccines. “In this video
series, parents and caregivers can hear directly from us, pediatricians
who know the science and can share the information they need to feel
comfortable getting their kids vaccinated when eligible.”
“I’ve been working with
pediatric vaccines my whole career, including in pediatric COVID-19
vaccine trials here at Stanford Medicine. There is no doubt in my mind
that we absolutely need vaccines for children. We know that vaccines are
the most effective public health intervention to keep all populations
safe and healthy,” says Yvonne “Bonnie” Maldonado, MD, Stanford Medicine
Epidemiologist and Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist, who appears
in the campaign.
THE
CONVERSATION / LA CONVERSACIÓN offers an expansive,
living video library featuring doctors, nurses, researchers
and community health workers dispelling myths and providing credible
facts about the COVID-19 vaccines. The campaign debuted in March with an
initial series focused on Black communities presented with the Black
Coalition Against COVID. Additional content was added in May for Latinx
and Spanish-speaking communities with UnidosUS. To date, the videos have been
viewed more than 82.7 million times on digital and social media.
All content is available
rights-free and designed to be shared on social media and can be easily
embedded on websites. A community
toolkit provides additional graphics and promotions to extend
reach of the messaging.
The California Health Care Foundation, California Community Foundation,
California Endowment, Commonwealth Fund, Sierra Health Foundation and
Walgreens have provided funding in support of THE
CONVERSATION / LA CONVERSACIÓN campaign. YouTube, Google,
Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are promoting the messaging on their
platforms as part of efforts to amplify trusted voices on COVID-19.
For more information
about THE CONVERSATION / LA CONVERSACIÓN go to:
www.BetweenUsAboutUs.org
l www.EntreNosotrosSobreNosotros.org
www.youtube.com/GreaterThanCOVID
The American
Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary
care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric
surgical specialists dedicated to the optimal health and well-being for
all infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more
information, visit www.aap.org.
KFF (Kaiser
Family Foundation) is a national nonprofit leader in health
policy analysis and polling, journalism and social impact media. No
affiliation with Kaiser Permanente. Visit the COVID-19
Vaccine Monitor Dashboard, Racial
Equity and Health topic page and KHN.
Greater
Than COVID is a public information initiative from KFF to help
individuals take charge of their health during the evolving COVID-19
public health crisis. Tailored media messages and community tools address
information needs about the vaccines.
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