Some parents have waited a long time for the moment when infants and toddlers can get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“We’re more exclusive about who can come over to our house and be inside with us, and where we meet up with people and how many people that is,” said Caitlin Griffin, mom to eight-month-old Davin.
She got her vaccination when she was two months pregnant.
“We went for it, and I never regretted it,” she said. “And because I know there’s been such rigorous testing and development of this, and it has been ‘soon’ for a very long time because they want to be careful, I trust it. I trust science and I know we’ll do what’s best for him.”
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Infant and toddler vaccination is another major milestone in the fight against COVID-19. Dr. Ulysses Wu said he’s glad it’s available, but adds it may have been more valuable months ago.
“I do wish this happened earlier in the fight against COVID, because it looks like COVID is become a distant memory to a lot of people. It's still here, it definitely is still here,” Wu said.
He explains that people likely have reached a COVID fatigue, including with vaccinations.
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“We've always said from the beginning that we would like to have a population that is probably around 90% vaccinated. And as adults, we're not even close to that nationwide at least,” Wu said.
At the height of vaccine distribution in April, 200,000 doses were given out in one week. Just 574 people got a shot last week, bringing the statewide total to 76% of the population with at least one dose of the vaccine.
But Wu said vaccines are among the best ways to protect against COVID. And now, even some of the youngest can have that safety.
“Every little bit helps. And so, if the kids get vaccinated, hopefully the spread will also decrease to people who may not mount an immune response to vaccination, or who haven't gotten vaccinations,” Wu said.
“Our son, who’s already five, is already vaccinated,” said Alden Pinkham.
For some families like hers, getting toddlers vaccinated means a little more freedom. For little Clara, it means seeing family members for the first time.
“We plan to get ours vaccinated as soon as we can because we’re planning to go on a plane at the end of the summer to visit family, and we hope to have her as well protected as we can before then,” Pinkham said.
But others said they’ll wait a few more months to see how other little ones do with the vaccine.
“I think I’m going to wait a little bit,” said Divya Beech of her two-year-old son. “Maybe just six months to see how things are and get him vaccinated afterward. “He’s fully vaccinated on his other vaccines, you know he’s up to date, but I just want to wait on the COVID one.”
