Maisie Hunt, 13, holds her father’s hand as she gets vaccinated by Domonique Cubillo at the Las Vegas Convention Center Thursday, May 13, 2021. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is now available for 12- to 15-year-olds.
Friday, May 14, 2021 | 2 a.m.
The Hunt family came to the Las Vegas Convention Center as a pack Thursday to get the eldest three children their first shots of the COVID-19 vaccine that will ease their dad's mind as they go on a planned vacation and hang out with friends.
Maisie, 13, held her dad’s hand as he and her vaccinator chatted with her about the chicken sandwich she’d get afterwards as her sister Natalie, also 13, and brother Ryan, 15, got their shots a few feet away. She needed something to occupy her mind, as the middle schooler doesn’t like needles.
Dad Sean Hunt said the kids definitely wanted to be there, though. His youngest, 11-year-old iris, was “bummed” that she’s too young for the vaccine, but she'll get hers too when she turns 12 in September.
“They definitely wanted to go together,” he said. For moral support, Maisie added.
For 15-year-old Elijah Howe, who stopped by with his mother, the shot was about social responsibility.
He figures he’s healthy, but he could still contract and pass along the virus and “I don't want to harm anyone else indirectly, like at the grocery store,” said the Valley High School freshman.
Maisie, Natalie, Ryan and Elijah were among the roughly 160 children in the newly authorized 12-15 age group who had received a Pfizer-made shot by 4 p.m. on the first day of eligibility at the convention center alone, said clinic administrator Jon Klassen. The age group is limited in population and disease impact — only about 177,000 kids in that age range live in Nevada — but importantly for public health professionals, the risk is not zero.
Just in Clark County, 8,376 kids ages 12 to 15 have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic kicked off last year, according to the Southern Nevada Health District. Of these, 64 children were hospitalized and two died.
“The availability of the COVID-19 vaccine for younger children is welcome news,” said Dr. Fermin Leguen, the district’s health officer, in a statement. “Children are just as susceptible to getting the virus that causes COVID-19 as adults. Younger people may not be as likely to get severely ill, but it is still a risk, and they can spread the virus to others who may be more at risk for complications from the illness. The more people who are vaccinated in our community, the better protected everyone will be.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the Pfizer vaccine Wednesday for children ages 12-15, two days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized it for emergency use in that age group. The Pfizer shot was already available to 16- and 17-year-olds and is the only brand available to minors.
The state had enough doses on hand to begin giving shots immediately.
Karissa Loper, chief of Nevada’s Bureau of Child, Family, and Community Wellness within the state Health Department, said Thursday that this is a “monumental week for young Nevadans.” Children are now representing a larger share of new cases since adults, especially the most-susceptible seniors, have been able to get inoculated since December.
Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, a family care practitioner in Reno who partners with the state on pro-vaccine messaging, encouraged parents to ask their doctors about the shot. She added that the CDC has revised its guidance on spacing out COVID-19 and other vaccines, allowing kids who missed routine shots during the quarantine to get caught up on those at the same time as their coronavirus shot.
“I encourage, as a mom and as a doctor, all families to educate themselves on the vaccine,” she said.
Grace Perea brought her eldest, 17-year-old Esmeralda, to the convention center for both to get vaccinated. It was a preview for the weekend, when her two younger children, Jesus, 12, and Dayzi, 15, would get their own shots with their grandmother, and Perea would sign off on the younger kids’ shots as well. Dayzi is especially analytical and has been taking in the pandemic, waiting for the opportunity to be protected, Perea said.
After a few nervous minutes, Maisie Hunt emerged smiling with a bandage on her arm and a sandwich on the near horizon. She said the shot wasn’t so bad, past the pinch as the needle went in.
In a few weeks, she and her family will be vacationing in Seattle.
“I kind of miss being able to hang out with people,” she said.
Sean Hunt said he was looking forward to not worrying about the children so much, and his trip to the vaccine clinic was the best thing he’d ever done with his kids.
“I didn’t enjoy keeping them inside every day,” although it was for their protection, he said.
After affirming the federal approvals with a group of other Western governors, Gov. Steve Sisolak said in a statement that every “vaccine given puts our state one step closer to recovery.”
“This vaccine is a vital tool in our fight against COVID-19, and the protection it offers our families is invaluable as we look to the future and work to protect the health of our communities,” Sisolak said.
Will the dosage or regiment of the Pfizer vaccine be different for adolescents?
No. An FDA fact sheet for the Pfizer vaccine shows the same routine for 12-15-year-olds as for ages 16 and up: two shots spaced three weeks apart, at the same dose (0.3 mL each).
What did the clinical trials say?
About 2,200 adolescents participated in the trials. Half received the shot, and half received a placebo. Among trial subjects, the vaccine was 100% effective at preventing infection (Pfizer was found about 95% effective among older teens and adults).
What are the side effects?
The most common side effects reported in the 12-15 age group were pain at injection site, fatigue, headache, chills, muscle pain and fever.
These were also the most common side effects in older teens and adults. Most side effects were considered mild to moderate.
Do parents need to accompany their children to get their shots?
In Clark County at least, yes, per the Southern Nevada Health District.
What about other vaccine manufacturers?
Moderna announced earlier this month that its product was 96% effective in a study of about 3,200 12-17 year olds. The data are preliminary and will still need federal scrutiny. Johnson & Johnson, or Janssen, expanded its clinical trials to children 12-17 in April. And local children will be part of a study for Novavax, which has not yet submitted a COVID-19 vaccine for regulatory approval.
How do I make an appointment for my child?
Visit the Southern Nevada Health District website.
