For Cincinnati-area pediatricians, pharmacies, hospitals and health departments, it is checklist time.They are getting everything ready for the anticipated go-ahead to start vaccinating children ages 5 to 11.Doctors expect to get it from the Food and Drug Administration on Oct. 26, then from the Centers for Disease Control on Nov. 2 or 3, and may be able to start vaccinating the younger set during that first week of next month.Bowie Ryan, 5, has been prepped for the inevitable.Mom has talked with him about it."We call it the sickness," Jen Ryan explained outside her Halloween-decorated home in Reading. "It's the sickness ... That's what we call shots. You're going to have to get a poke at some point. But that means that you're safe and protected and he's, you know, he's more worried obviously about the poke itself. But yes, we've been talking to them since the beginning.""Them" includes 3-year-old Harlow, who is not yet within the range of eligibility, but may be soon.There is a buzz about all of this in the medical community right now. Doctors are curious to find out what the demand will be.Dr. Stephen Feagins of Mercy Health was on the horn with health department leaders today and told us, "You could sense a sort of excitement of like, we're ready to get this population. This is a population the health department vaccinates."At Pediatric Associates of Mt. Carmel where other vaccines are in frozen storage, calls have been coming in from families asking about getting the under-12 set vaccinated.According to Dr. Chris Peltier, "Almost every visit, those kids' parents are asking when is it going to be available? Because they hear that it's coming. You know, this is a group that has not had access to the vaccine. And many parents, many kids, for many reasons, I think the biggest thing is to ensure that their kids are able to stay in school." For young Bowie, it sounds like there won't be any delay in getting him to his doctor."No, we've got Thanksgiving coming up, Christmas coming up," mom said. "We're still very careful even if we do have family get-togethers."Doses were ordered by Wednesday's noon deadline, 10 doses to a bottle. Purple caps for the adult bottles, orange caps for children so that there is no mix-up.Initially, when the vaccine first came out a year ago, it was hard to get for many people. But not now."It was almost like trying to find Willy Wonka's golden ticket, right? The supply did not equal the demand," Peltier said. "That is not going to be the case for our kids 5 to 11. Especially in the state of Ohio, there is plenty of vaccine."Health departments and pharmacies will play a major role in rural counties where there aren't as many pediatric options.Dr. Feagins took note of the backlog due to the pandemic.Colon cancer screenings, breast cancer screenings, and regular children's vaccinations for measles, mumps, and rubella are all running behind.Feagins encouraged people to look at the next two months as a good opportunity to catch up.Mrs. Ryan pointed to Halloween as motivation."I don't want my kids to have to wear a mask to school for the next five years," she stated."And the only way that's going to happen is that people get vaccinated and end this thing."Halloween is almost here.Her youngest will be a skeleton.Bowie will go as The Hulk.
For Cincinnati-area pediatricians, pharmacies, hospitals and health departments, it is checklist time.
They are getting everything ready for the anticipated go-ahead to start vaccinating children ages 5 to 11.
Doctors expect to get it from the Food and Drug Administration on Oct. 26, then from the Centers for Disease Control on Nov. 2 or 3, and may be able to start vaccinating the younger set during that first week of next month.
Bowie Ryan, 5, has been prepped for the inevitable.
Mom has talked with him about it.
"We call it the sickness," Jen Ryan explained outside her Halloween-decorated home in Reading. "It's the sickness ... That's what we call shots. You're going to have to get a poke at some point. But that means that you're safe and protected and he's, you know, he's more worried obviously about the poke itself. But yes, we've been talking to them since the beginning."
"Them" includes 3-year-old Harlow, who is not yet within the range of eligibility, but may be soon.
There is a buzz about all of this in the medical community right now. Doctors are curious to find out what the demand will be.
Dr. Stephen Feagins of Mercy Health was on the horn with health department leaders today and told us, "You could sense a sort of excitement of like, we're ready to get this population. This is a population the health department vaccinates."
At Pediatric Associates of Mt. Carmel where other vaccines are in frozen storage, calls have been coming in from families asking about getting the under-12 set vaccinated.
According to Dr. Chris Peltier, "Almost every visit, those kids' parents are asking when is it going to be available? Because they hear that it's coming. You know, this is a group that has not had access to the vaccine. And many parents, many kids, for many reasons, I think the biggest thing is to ensure that their kids are able to stay in school."
For young Bowie, it sounds like there won't be any delay in getting him to his doctor.
"No, we've got Thanksgiving coming up, Christmas coming up," mom said. "We're still very careful even if we do have family get-togethers."
Doses were ordered by Wednesday's noon deadline, 10 doses to a bottle. Purple caps for the adult bottles, orange caps for children so that there is no mix-up.
Initially, when the vaccine first came out a year ago, it was hard to get for many people. But not now.
"It was almost like trying to find Willy Wonka's golden ticket, right? The supply did not equal the demand," Peltier said. "That is not going to be the case for our kids 5 to 11. Especially in the state of Ohio, there is plenty of vaccine."
Health departments and pharmacies will play a major role in rural counties where there aren't as many pediatric options.
Dr. Feagins took note of the backlog due to the pandemic.
Colon cancer screenings, breast cancer screenings, and regular children's vaccinations for measles, mumps, and rubella are all running behind.
Feagins encouraged people to look at the next two months as a good opportunity to catch up.
Mrs. Ryan pointed to Halloween as motivation.
"I don't want my kids to have to wear a mask to school for the next five years," she stated.
"And the only way that's going to happen is that people get vaccinated and end this thing."
Halloween is almost here.
Her youngest will be a skeleton.
Bowie will go as The Hulk.
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