Volume 3 • Issue 22
November 6, 2021
California Begins Rollout of COVID Shots for Children 5 to 11 Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media
After a review by the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, California has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. The state has already begun to roll out vaccines, joining forces with about 500 organizations to distribute 1.2 million doses of COVID-19 shots to the estimated 3.2 million kids now eligible
to receive them. According to the California Department of Public Health, there are an estimated 171,000 Black children in that age range. “The truth is we have lost 72,000 Californians to COVID. We have been looking for a miracle, for solutions, to help us get through this pandemic,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of the California Health and Human
Services Agency, during a news briefing with ethnic media outlets from across the state. “The vaccine represents the best form of that ability to address this – to help us get through what has been a very challenging nearly two years that has claimed way too many Californians’ lives and affected their livelihoods,” he added. Ghaly addressed the
fear of two heart-related reactions – Myocarditis and Pericarditis – doctors have found in adults and teenagers who have taken COVID vaccines. The conditions occur when fluids leak into the heart muscle (Mycarditis) or the lining around the heart (pericarditis) due to the immune system responding to antigens or infections in the www.cdm.org body.
“We seldom see these important reactions occur as a result of the vaccines,” Ghaly said. “And when we do, they are often resolving themselves without significant intervention. But, most importantly, the risk of having more serious cardiac consequences from getting infected with COVID are real and well documented for young people. Ghaly said of the estimated 4,000 children that participated in national trials of the vaccine, there were no cases of myocarditis or pericarditis found. Gov. Gavin Newsom says vaccinating children is a step in the right direction. "Vaccines are how we end this pandemic, and they’re how we keep our kids safe – it’s time to get our children the protection they need from this deadly virus, especially as we head into the winter season," said Newsom. [Continued on Page 13]