Friday, November 12, 2021
Now that COVID-19 vaccinations have been granted emergency use authorization by the FDA and CDC for children 5 years of age and older, we wanted to provide information for families about what this means for students at Woodland Public Schools:
The COVID vaccine is not required for students attending Woodland Public Schools.
Children attending Woodland Public Schools are not required to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Parents and guardians who choose to get their children vaccinated should contact their child’s doctor first before reaching out to other vaccine sites.
Can students receive COVID-19 vaccinations at school?
Currently, Woodland Public Schools has no plans to offer “on-site” school clinic vaccinations. Please disregard any misinformation you may have seen elsewhere. If the decision is made to offer on-site vaccinations at school, we will update our COVID-19 HQ webpage to reflect this change at www.woodlandschools.org/covid-hq
Where can children receive the vaccine?
Your child’s pediatrician is a great place to start. Additionally, locations offering COVID-19 vaccines can be found from this link: https://vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov. Initially, vaccines for children 11 years old and younger may take time to become available as the dosage is lower for children 11 years old and younger, so you should contact the location first to make sure they have the right vaccine available for your child.
What is the approved vaccine?
Currently, the Pfizer-BioNTech is the authorized COVID-19 vaccine for children 5-11 years old. The vaccine is administered as a two-dose series with doses given three (3) weeks apart. The dose for children 5-11 is ⅓ less than that given to individuals 12 years of age and older (0.2 mL vs 0.3 mL according to the CDC).
May children experience side effects like older individuals who have received the vaccine?
Yes. Children may experience side effects from the vaccine just like older individuals who receive the vaccine. These side effects are normal and show that your body is building protection. In very, very rare cases, individuals developed myocarditis (an inflammation of the heart), however all side effects typically resolve themselves within a few days or a few weeks, at most.
More information about possible side effects can be found from the CDC’s website here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/expect/after.html
Where can I find more information about the COVID-19 vaccine and children?
Your child’s pediatrician is a great place to start! You and your kids can learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine by watching this video created by the American Academy of Pediatrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOlrNlvEiMw
Additionally, you can find more information about how to talk to your kids about the COVID-19 vaccines from this editorial by Dr. Moira Szilagyl, the president-elect for the American Academy of Pediatrics: https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/29/opinions/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-covid-19-vaccine-szilagyi/index.html
You can also learn more about the COVID-19 vaccination and children from the Washington State Department of Health’s website here: https://www.doh.wa.gov/emergencies/covid19/vaccineinformation/vaccinatingyouth
The Washington State Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction has released the following document to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine: What Parents/Guardians Should Know about Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine (PDF)
Stay updated on COVID-19 and Woodland Public Schools
To stay updated on COVID-19 and your Woodland Public Schools, visit our COVID-HQ website atwww.woodlandschools.org/covid-hq