BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) "We've actually seen an uptick in Covid cases in October." Dr. Stephen Turkovich tells WBEN, 30 people have been admitted to Oishei Children's Hospital in Buffalo during the month of October. Most have been children, but some were pregnant women. Five were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.
The chief medical officer for the pediatric hospital says overall, during the
pandemic, 170 children have been admitted to Oishei with Covid.
"Month to month, it's looking as if this month, (October), is the busiest month. September was the previous busiest month. We're averaging about one admission a day," added Turkovich.
When it comes to the pending approval of a Covid vaccine for 5 to 11 year olds, there is a divide among parents. Many parents are cautious according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's latest Vaccine Monitor poll. When asked about what they would do if their children became eligible for a vaccine, 27% of parents said they would get them vaccinated "right away." Another 33% would want to "wait and see." And at least two thirds of the parents said they are concerned about potential long-term and serious side effects, including their child's fertility in the future. The CDC has repeatedly reported no evidence the vaccines cause fertility problems. The CDC is expected to vote on Pfizer's child vaccine authorization next week.
"It's always a difficult decision," said Turkovich, "when making a decision for your child.". He wants parents to know that the FDA panel had one question to answer. Do the benefits outweigh the risks? By a vote of 17 to 1 (an abstention) the answer was yes.
Turkovich said there are three takeaways from the FDA review of the pediatric vaccine.
* it's 91% effective.
* it's safe. Side effects were similar to adults; injection site pain, fatigue and headaches. 10% of kids in trials had a fever or chills for a day or so.
* Regarding myocarditis (inflammation of the heart), there were zero cases in the pediatric study of over 2,000 children.
Personally, Turkovich said he has read studies on the vaccine and listened to the debate, and he feels comfortable giving the vaccine. "As soon as it's available, I'm going to get my 9 and 11 year old children vaccinated," he said.
