Kids 5 To 11 Get Their Turn At COVID-19 Vaccination

By Nancy West, InDepth NH

CONCORD, NH — The vaccination rollout for 5- to 11-year-olds against COVID-19 in New Hampshire has been slow and is mainly moving forward due to the extra unpaid efforts of healthcare providers and pharmacies.

Dr. Christine Arsnow, a pediatrician at Concord Pediatrics, started giving the shots to patients last week.

But because the Executive Council turned down $27 million in federal funds to boost the vaccination program, there is no money to pay staffers to give the shots, although the vaccine itself is free.

Instead, Arsnow and other medical personnel have been coming in on their own their time to help make sure children and the families are safe, she said.

“Some smaller practices are not offering vaccines because of the lack of staff,” Arsnow said.

While the vaccine is paid for, because the $27 million was denied by the Republican-majority Executive Council, there is no money to pay the staffers.

Nurses and doctors are coming in on weekends and their days off to help, said Arsnow, who is also vice president of the New Hampshire branch of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

It’s the same with pharmacists that are getting no extra pay for the increased workload, she said.

The vaccines are safe for children and she is encouraging families to call their doctors or pharmacies to get the shot.

It’s been a terrific experience, she said.

“Most are excited. It’s so much fun to give kids shots who are excited about it,” Arsnow said.

Although it is mainly older people who become seriously ill from COVID-19, she said nationwide there have been over 5,000 child hospitalizations.

“This is now vaccine-preventable. Even if is not common, no child should be hospitalized because of Covid,” she said.

Arsnow urged parents to get the vaccination for their children as soon as they can, before the holidays if possible.

“The vaccine is very safe. It is well studied at this point. Any side effects are outweighed by the benefits,” Arsnow said.

It will allow children to stay in school, parents not miss work and families stay healthy, she said.

“There’s no reason to wait. Make an appointment as soon as you can,” Arsnow said.

Jake Leon, spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said the rollout delay has been caused by a number of factors, including a restriction on state-funded activities for children ages 5-11 due to the rejection of the $27 million CDC immunization grant.

The vaccine for this age group has new packaging and a smaller dosage than the adult vaccines, he said.

The CDC has authorized an initial allotment of 30,000 doses to New Hampshire and additional doses will be made available as demand warrants.

“But all states received an initial allotment of the pediatric vaccine below what the demand should ultimately be. The federal government has asked parents to remain patient while this new formulation is produced and distributed,” Leon said.

New Hampshire is further restricted by the rejection of $27 million in CDC funding, much of which was to be allocated to support school-based clinics for when this age group became eligible, he said.

Some alternative funding was approved last week by the Executive Council, so the state is submitting contracts with regional public health networks and federally qualified health centers to support school-based vaccination efforts, Leon said.

“However, until those contracts are approved and operationalized, pharmacies will be the primary vaccination source for 5 to 11 year olds. Many hospitals and provider practices have made the vaccine available to their patients in this age group as well,” Leon said.

Another factor is booster shots for all vaccine recipients and third doses for the immunocompromised.

These were both recently recommended by the CDC and are being administered through the same vaccine pathways that parents are following, which has created further demand for vaccine doses at pharmacies and providers, Leon said, adding parents should expect significant demand for pharmacy-based vaccinations.

This story was originally published by InDepth NH.