WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – The Pfizer vaccine could be the first available COVID shot for kids ages 5 to 11. But, how do parents feel about having their young kids vaccinated?
We spoke with several parents outside of Watertown’s Knickerbocker Elementary School during dismissal Thursday. Many say they’re not opposed to the vaccine, but they don’t want their kid to be first in line either.
“Not day one, absolutely not,” Marisa Ryan.
Ryan is talking about the Pfizer vaccine.
On Thursday, Pfizer submitted an emergency application to the FDA to have its vaccine approved for kids ages 5 to 11. It would be the first COVID vaccine available for kids under 12.
Ryan wants to give it a few months before deciding if it’s right for her five-year-old daughter.
“I don’t know enough about it yet; I’m probably going to wait around to see what happens with other kids, how they deal with it first,” she said.
Chelsea Raymond has two kids in that age group. She intends on getting both of them vaccinated, but not right away.
“I think I might wait, just to see. But, eventually, you know, couple months in, seeing that it’s okay, I think I would go ahead and do it,” she said.
Other parents are in a trickIer situation. One mother is hesitant to get her five-year-old son vaccinated, but he has an underlying condition.
“He has Type 1 diabetes so he is already at higher risk of contracting COVID because of a weakened immune system. But it’s not something I’m ready to say yes or no on because it’s still new,” said Michaela Van Patten.
Van Patten says she wants to see how it effects other kids first.
It’s still not clear when the shots could become available to the younger age group. The FDA is going to discuss it further later this month and a ruling may not come until Novermber.
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