Virtua Urges COVID-19 Vaccinations Ahead Of School Year

As new cases of the coronavirus see an uptick, Virtua Health is urging families to get their children vaccinated ahead of the school year.

“Hospitals are already being flooded with children who are sick with COVID-19, especially in Florida, Louisiana, and other states with lower vaccination rates,” Virtua Health Head of Infectious Diseases Dr. Martin Topiel said. “That could happen here, too, as kids return to classrooms this fall. So it’s critical that eligible children and adults – everyone age 12 and older – get vaccinated.”

One family added their voice to health experts calling on New Jersey residents to get vaccinated.

When the entire Laskowski Family came down with the coronavirus, they had fevers, chills and headaches for up to five days. The three kids had to get lung x-rays and heart tests to check for long-term damage.

So when the COVID-19 vaccine became available, the Cherry Hill family jumped at the chance to get vaccinated. Kate Laskowski, a teacher at Cinnaminson High School, said she wanted to protect her family from catching the coronavirus again, and becoming even more sick.

Now that they are vaccinated, the family is hoping for a more normal school year, which includes all in-person classes. They said this is more likely if all eligible students get vaccinated.

“In my 22 years of teaching, last year was by far the most challenging,” said Laskowski, whose school used a hybrid model of online and in-person classes. “I would not want to go back to that for anything.”

Her son, 13-year-old Matt, is a rising eight-grader whose Cherry Hill middle school alternated between all-remoted and hybrid classes last year.

“I just want this pandemic to go away,” Matt Laskowski said. “If you can get vaccinated and help the world, just do it.”

The family spoke out as doctors with Virtua Health plead with families to get their children vaccinated ahead of the new school year.

Last week, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that New Jersey students, educators, staff and visitors must wear face masks in school buildings - regardless of vaccination status - when the new school year begins in September, at least to start the year. Read more here: NJ K-12 Students Must Wear Masks This Fall, Gov. Murphy Says

That announcement came in response to the Centers for Disease for Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendation that New Jersey residents wear face masks inside, whether they are vaccinated or not. That recommendation is now in effect for all 21 New Jersey counties, but it is not yet a mandate. Read more here: Masks Now Recommended In All 21 NJ Counties, CDC Says

In Burlington and Camden counties, for instance, cases rose 149 percent and 217 percent, respectively, over the past two weeks, according to the New York Times.

The virus is spreading because the delta variant, a more contagious form of the coronavirus, is now the dominant form of the coronavirus.

“It’s really like a different virus,” Virtua Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jennifer Khelil said. “With Delta, people develop infections more quickly, have higher levels of the virus in their body, and often get a lot sicker – including kids.”

“Unvaccinated children and adults who contract Delta have a much greater likelihood of being hospitalized than those who are vaccinated,” Topiel said.

Both physicians are very concerned about the rate of transmission associated with the Delta variant – which some experts compare to chicken pox, an extremely contagious illness.

“The overwhelming majority of cases are occurring in unvaccinated people,” Khelil said. “Vaccinated people are highly protected from getting sick, and almost entirely protected from being hospitalized or dying from COVID-19, including the Delta variant.”

“What’s tricky is that a vaccinated person may acquire the Delta variant, feel perfectly fine, and still pass the virus to others – especially unvaccinated people and those with underlying health conditions,” Topiel said. “That is why everyone – including vaccinated people – should continue the safety behaviors we’ve all learned over the past 18 months, including masking, social-distancing, and hand-washing.”

To schedule a vaccine appointment, find a walk-up vaccine site, or for more information about vaccines and COVID-19, visit https://www.virtua.org/services/covid19-updates.