Our Bay Street Pediatrics providers are often asked if we believe COVID-19 will ever really end and life can return to normal. While we trust this virus will eventually become just another mild illness, we do know that that won’t happen until everyone does three very vital things.
1) Get Everyone Vaccinated Immediately
The most important thing everyone eligible can do is get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible. People 5 years old and over are now eligible to be vaccinated with a two-dose schedule from Pfizer-BioNTech, as authorized and approved by the FDA. Everyone 12 and over should also get a booster five months after their second dose. Over 5 million children have received the vaccine and have experienced no serious side effects. We cannot say this enough: These vaccines are safe.
2) Socialize with Like-minded Families
Playdates can help your kids (and you) feel normal again! Gather with families who are vaccinated, boosted, and not showing symptoms of illness. This includes grandparents and other family members; when you are vaccinated, you can have normal, unmasked interactions with other vaccinated people.
For families with under-5 unvaccinated children, we know that the decision to gather can be extremely difficult. However, you know which eligible friends and family members are vaccinated and practice the same safety measures as in your home. When gathering, everyone over the age of two should wear a multi-layered, finely woven mask. Toys should be disinfected frequently, sneezes should always be covered and hands washed often. Make sure that even “safe” families understand that any coughing or runny noses means taking a raincheck on gathering
3) Get Tested Frequently
If you suspect you or your child has been exposed to COVID-19 or has a runny nose, cough or fever, get tested as soon as possible. Being aware of your family’s COVID-19 status and taking the steps needed to stop infections are vital to stopping this pandemic.
When your child tests negative, congratulations! Continue masking in public spaces and enjoy gathering.
If the test is positive, isolate positive people for 5 days, or according to the most recent CDC guidelines. Be sure other family members wear an N-95 mask when they are near the infected individual and keep them away from everyone else whenever possible. Contact everyone your infected individual has been near for 2-3 days before symptoms appeared or before they tested.
1) Get Everyone Vaccinated Immediately
Feeling a little déjà vu on this one? You’re right! We will say this over and over and over; the only way to get back to normal is comprehensive vaccination for everyone who is eligible. As of Tuesday, just 17% of children ages 5-11 are fully vaccinated. This pandemic will not end if children are not protected and quickly. As variants evolve, more children are becoming infected and more children are being hospitalized as a result of COVID-19. It’s not okay to let your child get it – COVID-19 it can be very serious at any age.
Are you still hesitant to get your child vaccinated? Please message us through your portal with your questions. All of us at Bay Street Pediatrics want you to be completely comfortable with this vaccine.
Getting back to normal means everyone doing what needs to be done – and that means vaccination for everyone eligible as soon as possible.