KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Moms across the Kansas City area are getting answers to their questions about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Parents want to know if their kids should be vaccinated against the virus.
Dr. Natasha Burgert, a pediatrician at Pediatric Associates, said kids can get severely ill from the virus. There have also been numerous deaths reported.
"Kids are hospitalized with COVID. One in three kids hospitalized need ICU support," Burgert said. "Some are also getting long-haul symptoms."
Tiffany Long's 10-year-old son has provoked seizures.
She wants to know:
Can the vaccine cause seizures in children?
While Burgert said there's no evidence of that in adults, the data doesn't always translate in children.
"[Kids] have a nice, healthy, squishy immune system that is just ready to start reacting — very different than mine or my mom's, which really needs a lot of information in order to get the wheels turning," Burgert said. "I could speculate if the dosage is high that's going to trigger a bigger response, which may induce a fibril seizure or a situational seizure."
Lauren Simmons has a 7-year-old son who has Type 1 diabetes.
She wants to know:
When will the vaccine be available for kids who have medical conditions?
While Burgert said she hopes the vaccine is available to all children soon, she said trials are still ongoing. Parents can enroll their children in trials at places such as Children's Mercy.
"Some of my parents are opting in, especially kids who are cancer survivors, kids that have autoimmune disease, kid that have fragile asthma, that may be an avenue to have a front row seat to get one of these vaccines," Burgert said.
Even if a child enrolled in the trial gets the placebo, Burgert said when the trial is complete, they'll be first in line for the active vaccine. Those who enroll in a trial can drop out at any time.
Amy Szu contracted COVID-19 during her first pregnancy.
She asks:
"Is there any research that shows if I get the shot and get pregnant, or if perhaps I get the shot and didn't realize and get pregnant, will it have any effect on my baby?"
Burgert said women who get pregnant pass on antibodies to their babies, however they will wear off over time.
"Currently, it would still be recommended you get the vaccine when you're eligible even if you're trying to conceive," Burgert said. "In any stage of pregnancy because pregnancy is a high-risk condition if you get COVID."
A mom on Facebook wants to know:
Can the vaccine trigger an autoimmune disease or how might it effect children who are already diagnosed?
Burgert said it's not known if the vaccine could trigger an autoimmune disease, but viruses are known to be triggers.
"We know that viral diseases themselves can trigger autoimmune," Burgert said. "We haven't seen the opposite. We haven't seen how the vaccine might change to develop autoimmune."
Burgert said she can't see an avenue for the vaccines to trigger an autoimmune disease due to the components of the vaccine being so clean.
Additionally, Burgert said it's not known if the vaccine will protect those who are immunosuppressed.
"Including cancer survivors, too," Burgert said. "If you're immunosuppressed, we can give you the vaccine. I don't know if you're going to react to it."
Another mom on Facebook asked:
Is the vaccine safe for kids?
Burgert said it's not a question of if the vaccine is safe, but the recommended dose needs to be determined.
"A dose that we give to a 65-year-old is going to be very different than a dose that we give to your 4-year-old," she said.
Can the U.S. achieve herd immunity without vaccinating kids?
No.
"The pandemic will not be over until the kids are vaccinated," Burgert said. "Everyone needs protection."
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