Verity, 8, has advice for other kids getting vaccinated: ‘You shouldn’t be afraid, it’s not gonna hurt.’ – The Cincinnati Enquirer

Kids get Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital

Kids ages 5-11 receive Pfizers vaccine for COVID-19 at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital, November 2021.

Provided by Cincinnati Childrens Hospital

One day after she got herCOVID-19 vaccine, 8-year-oldVerity was a chatterbox.

Did her arm hurt? "No." Sleepy? "No." Headache, fever, anything? "No."

Verity was among the first of 430 children 5 to 11 years old who got a first dose of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine for kids in her age group at a pop-up clinic Wednesday at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

"I've been waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting to get it," she said. "When I was in the hospital, I tried to comfort some of the kids. I told them, 'You shouldn't be afraid, it's not gonna hurt.'"

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Verityis immunocompromised with complex medical conditions, said her mom, Morgan, of Cincinnati.

Reactions to kids getting Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine

Verity, age 8, and Dr. Patty Manning-Courtney, chief of staff at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital, talk about children receiving the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19.

Provided by Cincinnati Childrens Hospital

"If I didn't get the shot and coronavirus got me," Verity said flatly, "I'm burnt toast."

For their family, the vaccine's federal stamp of approval this week was a relief, Morgan said. Tradeoffs for keeping Verity safe during the novel coronavirus pandemic have included bigholiday events, school days (she is homeschooled) and, Verity says,"riding my horse."

She described her two-hour wait in a line for the shot this way: "It was like the zoo! It's just the best day."

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Dr. Robert Frenck, director of Cincinnati Children's Gamble Vaccine Research Center,was stunned at the turnout and the mood when he walked in.

"I went to the event thinking I would see 20 to 30 families. But when I got there I was dumbfounded. The whole lobby was filled with people patiently waiting for their children to be vaccinated," Frenck said. "Everyone wore a mask. The kids found new friends and were coloring and playing games. The scene was incredible and reminded me of what everyone has been missing human contact."

"The event was a great start for vaccination of kids," he said, "but it is only a start."

Cincinnati Children's administered another324 doses to children in the newly approved age group on Thursday at its Liberty Campusin Butler County. The medical center has several additional clinics planned. Parents can schedule an appointment on the Cincinnati Children's website. Walk-ins areare accepted from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. during weekday clinics and8 a.m. to 10 a.m. onNov. 13, at the main campus in Avondale.

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Pediatric offices across the Cincinnati region are taking vaccination appointments for their patients. Public health departments are doing the same, and some schools are expected to partner with public health on getting out the shots. The nonprofit Health Collaborative, an organization for hospital systems in the region, added a pediatric link to its coronavirus webpage Test and Protect, which has information and scheduling for the vaccine for kids in the newly approved age group.

The Pfizer BioNTech vaccine is one-third the dose of the same shot that adults get. Two injections are required for full vaccination.

Frenck, lead investigator onseveral of the Cincinnati Children's-based COVID-19 vaccine trials, has advocated for the need for protection through vaccines for children since the start of the pandemic and says science shows the vaccines are safe and effective.

"We now have another large segment of the population that can be protected against the virus," he said.

Verity walked into the experience with a thank-you card for the nurse, DenishiaSmith, who would administer her shot. She walked out with a small bandage on her arm and a new plush sloth in her hands.

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"Everybody was like, 'Oooh, she got a stuffed animal,'" she said. "I named him Pfizer."

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Verity, 8, has advice for other kids getting vaccinated: 'You shouldn't be afraid, it's not gonna hurt.' - The Cincinnati Enquirer