Child-size Covid Vaccine Doses Arrive In Maryland As State Gears Up To Vaccinate Kids

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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Vaccine doses for children ages 5 to 11 person already been shipped to Maryland. Some are going straight to pharmacies and pediatricians. The authorities is besides helping to coordinate vaccine clinics astatine schools.

“We’re precise excited astir it. I can’t archer you however large this is. Parents are going to beryllium relieved,” Maryland Secretary of Health Dennis Schrader told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. “Their children are going to get a harmless vaccine that protects them.”

Here is the missive from Howard County’s Health serviceman with the latest accusation connected however they program to vaccinate children erstwhile the CDC gives the ok. @wjz pic.twitter.com/9TNebnYDtT

— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) November 2, 2021

Schrader said the authorities is initially getting astir 180,000 doses. There are much than a half-million children successful that property radical successful Maryland.

For Sheri Cox, who has an 11-year-old granddaughter successful Baltimore City nationalist schools, the vaccine cannot travel soon enough.

“Kids tin beryllium affirmative and not amusement symptoms and that benignant of disquieted maine due to the fact that she has asthma. We person diabetes and asthma successful our family,” Cox said. “Yes, children request their shots due to the fact that you ne'er cognize what’s going to happen.

Anne Arundel County expects to commencement clinics this Friday and ramp up adjacent week.

“There aren’t going to beryllium arsenic galore vaccines successful the opening arsenic we would like. …We won’t person capable doses for everybody successful that archetypal week,” County Executive Steuart Pittman said astatine a briefing Tuesday.

Like galore different Maryland counties, Anne Arundel is not making appointments disposable close away.

“The nonstop times that appointments volition beryllium released volition beryllium shared is either Wednesday evening oregon Thursday greeting and is depending connected the timing of the CDC’s announcement,” said Anne Arundel’s Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman. He said the Pfizer vaccine, fixed astatine 1/3 the dose for adults, is harmless for kids and plans to springiness it to his ain children.

“We expect that it volition instrumentality 3 to 4 weeks for vaccine supplies to lucifer the demand. This means determination volition beryllium a hold for the archetypal fewer days eels to get your kid vaccinated but remainder assured, we volition vaccinate your children,” Dr. Kalyanaraman said.

Nationwide, surveys amusement parents are divided and astir a 3rd are reluctant to let their kids to beryllium vaccinated.

“We privation to forestall children from getting covid,” Secretary Schrader said.

This comes arsenic the Delta-plus variant has been detected successful Maryland, Washington, D.C. and 7 different states.

Delta-Plus #COVID19 variant detected successful Maryland https://t.co/qT0mCEXcaq @wjz

— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) November 2, 2021

It is adjacent much contagious than the fast-spreading regular Delta variant. But does not marque you sicker and vaccines are inactive effectual against it.

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“We’ve spot a fewer cases successful the state. we’re inactive evaluating,” Schrader said. “The much we vaccinate people. The little the dispersed and the little apt determination are variants.”