Kids ages 5 to 11 could get the Pfizer vaccine soon. How are Horry hospitals preparing?
Parents in Horry County and across the country could soon get their kids ages 5-11 vaccinated against COVID-19 after Pfizer-BioNTech announced its vaccine is safe and effective for that age group.
The companies still have to go through the emergency use authorization process through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but if it goes as quickly as it has for older age groups, kids in that age bracket could be getting their shots by Halloween.
Area hospitals and the state health department are waiting for the green light from the FDA, but are preparing to give shots to that age group. In a statement, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) said it will review the data from the clinical trial and await guidelines from the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“DHEC supports these and other efforts to offer safe, effective COVID-19 vaccinations to more people,” the statement said. “We look forward to the continued scientific review of vaccines for our younger school-aged children.”
Hospitals in the Myrtle Beach area are taking a similar approach. Conway Medical Center “stands ready” to provide shots to younger kids as soon as it’s given the go-ahead to do so, spokesperson Allyson Floyd told The Sun News.
Pfizer’s announcement is “welcome news,” especially as school is back in session, Tidelands Health spokesperson Dawn Bryant said. The hospital system has seen an uptick in pediatric diagnoses of COVID-19, Bryant said, though many recover without being hospitalized.
Grand Strand Medical Center is waiting for further guidance but the results of the Pfizer trials are promising, spokesperson Katie Maclay told The Sun News. At McLeod Health, a plan hasn’t been set up yet until further clarification and approval is granted, spokesperson Jennifer Hulon said.
As of Monday, 32 children are hospitalized with COVID-19 across South Carolina, according to the South Carolina Children’s Hospital Collaborative. Of those, only one was vaccinated against the virus.
In August, more kids and teens were infected with COVID-19 than any other month in 2021 as the contagious delta variant targets a younger unvaccinated age group and classes across the state resumed five days in-person in accordance with state law. As of Monday, more than 2,400 Horry County Schools students had tested positive for the coronavirus since school started Aug. 17, according to data from the district.
DHEC and local hospitals continue to push vaccinations for those who are eligible.
“In the meantime, we strongly encourage everyone ages 12 and up to get vaccinated as soon as possible,” DHEC’s statement reads. “COVID-19 vaccines have some of the highest efficacy rates we’ve ever seen among vaccines and are saving lives daily. Vaccinations can and will help us end this pandemic.”
This story was originally published September 20, 2021 at 2:18 PM.
