THIS WEEK.
THE CDC GAVE FINAL APPROVAL FOR
CHILDREN AGES FIVE TO 11 TO GET
THE TWO-DOZE PFIZER VACCINE
SERIES.
HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY NEARLY
500,000 CHILDREN IN THAT AGE
GROUP IN WISCONSIN ARE ELIGIBLE
AND THAT THE STATE'S FIRST-WEEK
ALLOTMENT IS 175,000 DOSES.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE NEW
ROLL OWTROLL-OUT WE TURN TO KARN
TIMBERLAKE, SECRETARY DESIGNEE
OF THE WISCONSIN DEPARTM DEPARTF
HEALTH SERVICES AND THANKS VERY
MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> YOU ARE VERY WELCOME.
>> SO WITH THE FIRST ALLOTMENT
OF THE VACCINE FOR YOUNGER
CHILDREN ARRIVING, WE'VE ALREADY
SEEN SOME PICTURES OF CHILDREN
GETTING THESE SHOTS, BUT IS IT
WIDESPREAD?
WHEN CAN MOST CHILDREN GET IT?
>> WE'RE BEING TOLD THERE WILL
BE PLENTY OF VACCINE FOR KIDS
AGES FIVE TO 11.
IT JUST IS GOING TO TAKE A FEW
WEEKS AS WE'VE GOTTEN USED TO
WITH THESE ROLL-OUTS FOR ALL OF
THE DOSES THAT WISCONSIN WILL BE
ELIGIBLE FOR TO ARRIVE IN OUR
STATE.
SO THE BEST THING PARENTS CAN DO
AND GUARDIANS AND CARETAKERS
WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THOSE
FIRST SHOTS IS START WITH YOUR
CHILD'S REGULAR PEDIATRICIAN OR
PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER OR CHECK
vaccines.gov, A GREAT RESOURCE
FOR ALL OF THE LOCATIONS WHERE
VACCINE IS AVAILABLE ACROSS OUR
STATE.
>> THIS IS THE PFIZER VACCINE, A
SERIES OF TWO IN SMALLER KIND OF
MINI DOSES?
IS THAT RIGHT?
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
AS THE SAYING GOES, CHILDREN ARE
NOT JUST LITTLE ADULTS, AND SO
THERE WAS CAREFUL RESEARCH DONE,
CAREFUL CLINICAL TRIALS WERE
CONDUCTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS
VACCINE IS BOTH SAFE AND
EFFECTIVE FOR KIDS AGES FIVE TO
11.
SO IT'S ABOUT ONE-THIRD THE DOSE
THAT ANY OF US WHO GOT THE
PFIZER VACCINE AS OLDER KIDS OR
AS ADULTS GOT.
>> WILL THERE BE SOME OF THESE
KIND OF COMMUNITY MASK CLINICS
SET UP ACROSS THE STATE AS THERE
HAD BEEN?
>> YES.
WE HAVE MAINTAINED A NETWORK OF
VACCINATION CLINICS ACROSS THE
STATE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ONE OF
OUR VENDORS, AMI, WHICH IS DOING
A GREAT JOB WITH THE COMMUNITY
CLINICS.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT A NUMBER OF
BOTH PUBLIC HEALTH BUT ALSO
HEALTH SYSTEMS ARE PARTNERING
WITH SCHOOLS JUST TO MAKE IT
THAT MUCH MORE CONVENIENT FOR
KIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO MAKE
SURE THEY CAN ACCESS THIS
IMPORTANT VACCINE.
>> ALL OF THAT WORK AND EFFORT
TO MAKE THAT AVAILABLE, BUT
SURVEYS SHOW ONLY A THIRD OF
PARENTS DEFINITELY PLAN TO
VACCINATE THEIR YOUNGER
CHILDREN.
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THE
OTHER TWO-THIRDS WHO ARE MAYBE
ON THE FENCE OR EVEN OPPOSED TO
IT?
>> SO I THINK THE PLACE TO START
IS CERTAINLY BY HAVING A
CONVERSATION WITH YOUR CHILD'S
HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NEW
AND THAT PARENTS AND CARETAKERS
HAVE QUESTIONS.
SO PLEASE DO CONNECT WITH YOUR
CHILD'S CARE PROVIDER AND ASK
YOUR QUESTIONS.
THE OTHER THING WE WOULD REALLY
EMPHASIZE IS THAT THE VACCINES
HAVE BEEN THOROUGHLY TESTED.
THEY REALLY HAVE BEEN FOUND TO
BE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE, FOLLOWING
ALL THE STEPS THAT THE FDA AND
THE CDC FOLLOW BEFORE THEY MAKE
ANY VACCINE AVAILABLE.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR FAMILIES
TO KNOW THAT COVID HAS RISKS
EVEN FOR CHILDREN.
I KNOW WE THINK OF IT AS BEING
RISKIER FOR OLDER PEOPLE AND
THAT IS CERTAINLY TRUE, BUT KIDS
CAN END UP IN THE HOSPITAL,
WHICH IS VERY SCARY FOR THEM AND
FOR THEIR FAMILIES, AND PERHAPS
ALMOST AS IMPORTANTLY, KIDS CAN
ALSO MISS UP ENDING OUT ON
SCHOOLS AND ACTIVITIES, ALL THE
THINGS THAT I KNOW I AS A PARENT
REALLY WANT FOR MY KIDS, THAT
THEY BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE
UNINTERRUPTED.
AND THE VACCINE IS A GREAT WAY
TO PROTECT OUR KIDS, PROTECT
THEIR FAMILIES AND PROTECT OUR
WHOLE STATE.
>> BECAUSE HOW WILL VACCINATING
THIS YOUNGER POPULATION HELP
OLDER PEOPLE AS WE COME INTO THE
HOLIDAY SEASON AND BEYOND?
>> RIGHT.
THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT AS WE
LIKE TO SAY, KIDS LIVE IN
FAMILIES AND FAMILIES LIKE TO
GATHER WITH EACH OTHER, WITH
FRIENDS, AND WE WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE JUST TAKE EVERY
OPPORTUNITY TO VACCINATE NOT
JUST KIDS, BUT ALSO THOSE AROUND
THEM, PARTICULARLY FOR BOTH
THOSE YOUNGER CHILDREN YOUNGER
THAN FIVE WHO STILL CANNOT BE
VACCINATED AND FOR THE OLDER
RELATIVES AND ADULTS WHO MAY
WANT TO BE GETTING TOGETHER OVER
THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
THERE'S NO REASON THAT WE CAN'T
GET EVERYBODY VACCINATED AND
MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE CAN BE
AS SAFE AND HEALTHY HEADING INTO
THE HOLIDAYS AS POSSIBLE.
>> HOW IS WISCONSIN DOING ON ITS
OVERALL VACCINATION RATE EVEN AS
PACKER FANS ARE CRESTFALLEN THAT
AARON RODGERS WILL BE OUT AT
LEAST A GAME AFTER TESTING
POSITIVE AFTER NOT BEING
VACCINATED?
>> THE OVERALL PROGRESS FOR OUR
STATE IS STRONG.
OUR OLDER ADULTS, WE HAVE
VACCINATED MORE THAN 85% OF
PEOPLE 65 AND OLDER WHICH IS
JUST REMARKABLE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT PEOPLE 18 AND
UP, SO THAT WORKING AGE
POPULATION, WE'RE AT ABOUT 69%
HAVE GOTTEN AT LEAST ONE SHOT,
ALMOST 70%, SO THAT'S REALLY
POSITIVE.
VULS OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A WAYS TO
YET WITH KIDS.
THERE'S STILL A WAYS TO GO, BUT
WE'RE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS.
>> I NOTICE YOU DIDN'T COMMENT
ON AARON RODGERS, BUT THANKS
VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.