EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING
INFECTION IN CHILDREN AGES 12 TO
15.
AND THAT IS VERY, VERY GOOD
NEWS, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAVE
SEEN AN INCREASE IN CASES AMONG
CHILDREN RECENTLY.
VACCINATING CHILDREN IN THIS AGE
GROUP WILL PREVENT INDIVIDUAL
ILLNESS AND HELP STOP THE SPREAD
AMONG OUR CHILDREN AND IN OUR
COMMUNITIES.
>> THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH SERVICES SAYS THERE ARE
SOME 300,000 12 TO 15-YEAR-OLDS
IN WISCONSIN NOW ELIGIBLE TO GET
A VACCINE.
A MONTH AGO ON THIS PROGRAM OUR
NEXT GUEST TOLD IT IT WAS VITAL
THAT CHILDREN GET COVID-19
VACCINATIONS AS SOON AS THEY ARE
CLEARED TO DO SO.
THEY ARE NOW CLEARED AND SHOTS
ARE ALREADY GOING IN THEIR ARMS.
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE
SPECIALIST AT UW, DR. JIM
CONWAY, IS HERE AND THANKS A LOT
FOR BEING HERE.
>> NICE TO BE BACK WITH YOU.
>> SO WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO
THE ABILITY OF THE 12 TO
15-YEAR-OLDS NOW BEING ABLE TO
GET VACCINATED?
>> I'M NOT SURPRISED BUT REALLY
QUIT THRILLED THAT WE'RE GOING
TO BE ABLE TO MOVE IN THIS
DIRECTION.
SINCE WE'VE TALKED LAST, THE
PROPORTION OF CASES RELATED TO
CHILDREN HAS INCREASED TO THE
POINT WHERE ALMOST ABOUT A
QUARTER OF THE POSITIVE TESTS IN
THE UNITED STATES ARE IN
CHILDREN.
WE RECOGNIZE AS WE'VE IMMUNIZED
BROADLY IN THE OLDER
INDIVIDUALS, WE'VE GOT THIS
SUSCEPTIBLE GROUP OF CHILDREN
THAT ARE REALLY VULNERABLE.
WHILE THEY GENERALLY DO WELL
WITH THE DISEASE, WE FEEL
STRONGLY THAT EVERY KID NEEDS
AND DESERVES TO BE PROTECTED
AGAINST THIS.
>> AS A PEDIATRICIAN, WHAT ARE
YOU TELLING FAMILIES AND THEIR
CHILDREN ABOUT WHAT THEY SHOULD
EXPECT IN TERMS OF SIDE-EFFECTS?
>> IT'S SIMILAR TO OTHER YOUNG
ADULTS.
FIRST DOSE MOST PEOPLE TOLERATE
FAIRLY WELL.
IT'S THAT SECOND DOSE WHEN YOUR
IMMUNE SYSTEM IS READY AND
PRIMED WHERE YOU GET MORE OF AN
IMMUNO LOGIC RESPONSE.
THE REACTIONS DO SEEM TO BE MORE
SIGNIFICANT IF PEOPLE HAVE
PREVIOUSLY HAD COVID.
KNOWING IF AND WHEN YOU THINK
YOU HAD COVID GIVES YOU A REASON
TO PAUSE AND TALK TO YOUR
PROVIDER BECAUSE WE'RE
RECOMMENDING SOME PEOPLE WAIT A
LITTLE BIT LONGER AFTER THEY'VE
RECOVERED TO MAKE SURE THEIR
IMMUNE SYSTEM HAS SETTLED DOWN.
>> OTHER THAN THAT, WHAT ARE YOU
TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT WHETHER OR
NOT IT'S WORTH THIS AGE GROUP TO
GET VACCINATED?
>> IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
EVERYBODY DESERVES THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BE PROTECTED.
WHILE KIDS DO WELL, WE'VE HAD
13,000, 14,000 KIDS ADMITTED TO
HOSPITALS, ALMOST 300 DEATHS.
THIS IS LIKE THE WORST FLU
SEASON YOU'D SEE IN KIDS.
KIDS HAVE NOT COME THROUGH THIS
UNSCATHED, SO IT'S REALLY
WORTHWHILE TO BE PROTECTED.
ALSO FROM A MENTAL HEALTH
STANDPOINT.
FOR THOSE OF US VACCINATED, THE
SENSE OF RELIEF THAT YOU CAN
START TO FEEL MORE NORMAL IS
REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND KIDS HAVE REALLY BORNE THE
BRUNT OF A LOT OF THIS.
THEY AREN'T MEANT TO BE SITTING
IN FRONT OF SCREENS.
THEY NEED TO BE TOGETHER, BE
ABLE TO PLAY SPORTS,
INTRAMURALS, EXTRA CURRICULARS.
THIS IS WHAT GETS THEM BACK.
>> THE IMPORTANT BOTTOM LINE
QUESTION IS HOW SAFE IS IT FOR
CHILDREN TO GET THIS
VACCINATION?
>> YEAH.
I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO REALIZE
IS THE REASON IT TOOK A WHILE IS
BECAUSE IT REALLY DID NEED TO BE
STUDIED IN A SYSTEMIC WAY.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THESE
WORKED IN ADULTS FIRST AND THEN
GRADUALLY WORK OUR WAY INTO
THESE YOUNGER AGE GROUPS.
IT'S STILL GOING TO BE SOME
MONTHS UNTIL WE SEE DATA FROM
THE SIX TO 11-YEAR-OLDs.
AS MUCH AS WE WANT TO PROTECT
THE POPULATION, WE NEED TO BE
PATIENT AND LET SCIENCE WORK ITS
MAGIC.
>> HOW DO YOU EXPECT GETTING
YOUNGER AGES VACCINATED WILL
HELP GOING INTO BUSY, KIND OF
SUMMER ACTIVITIES?
>> I THINK IT'S GOING TO ALLOW
THEM TO FUNCTION MUCH MORE
NORMALLY THAN WE HAD HOPED THEY
WOULD BE ABLE TO.
THIS IS PART OF THE SEASON
YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF
DISCUSSION ABOUT CHANGING HOW
MASKING AND SOCIALIZING WORKS
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN
VACCINATED.
THIS GIVES THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE
A LOT MORE OPPORTUNITY TO DO
THOSE THINGS IN A LOT MORE
NORMAL MANNER.
LOOKING AT THE FALL AND WHAT
POTENTIALLY COULD BE FURTHER
REEE AMERICA JEBS OFEMERGENCE OF THE DISEASE, THIS
IS TO REMOVE THESE POCKETS OF
SUSCEPTIBLES THAT ARE GOING TO
DRIVE TRANSMISSION.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE CDC
GUIDANCE THAT VACCINATED PEOPLE
CAN NOW GO WITHOUT A MASK
INDOORS EVEN?
>> IT MAKES SENSE FROM A
SCIENTIFIC STANDPOINT.
WE KNOW THAT THESE VACCINES ARE
PERFORMING BETTER THAN WE
THOUGHT THEY WOULD.
THE BREAKTHROUGH RATE OF PEOPLE
DEVELOPING INFECTIONS IS LESS
THAN 1%.
IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE.
THE WHOLE IDEA OF MASKING WAS TO
PROTECT PEOPLE THAT WERE AROUND
INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE ILL.
I THINK THAT IT'S GOTTEN LOST IN
ALL THE DISCOURSE THAT THE MASK
ITSELF DOESN'T PROTECT THE
WEARER ALL THAT MUCH.
IT PROTECTS OTHERS FROM INFECTED
INDIVIDUALS AND DIMINISHING THE
AEROSOL THEY CAN GENERATE.
ONCE IMMUNIZED, A MASK ISN'T
THAT NECESSARILY.
THE OPTICS OF IT IS IS HARD
BECASE WE'VE DIVIDED VACCINE
PASSPORTS ARE NOT SOMETHING
WE'RE EMBRACING.
BUT FROM A SCIENTIFIC
STANDPOINT, IT ACTUALLY DOES
MAKE SENSE TO DROP MASKS FOR
THOSE WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED.
>> WISCONSIN HAS A 39% RATE OF
FULL VACCINATION.
HOW ENCOURAGED OR DISCOURAGED
ARE YOU BY THAT NUMBER?
>> I THINK WE'RE MAKING GOOD
PROGRESS.
I THINK WE WOULD LIKE IT TO GO
FASTER.
BUT I THINK ALSO WE'VE REALIZED
THAT PEOPLE DO WANT TO DO THIS
IN A MORE CONVENIENT WAY IN MANY
PLACES.
SO YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE
DECENTRALIZATION OF THESE
VACCINE CENTERS, MOBILE
VACCINATION TEAMS AND MOVING IT
INTO PRIMARY PROVIDER OFFICES.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO TALK
WITH THEIR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER
AND DO IT IN THOSE SETTINGS.
THAT'S WHERE I THINK WE'RE GOING
TO BE MOVING NOW.
>> DR. JIM CONWAY, THANKS VERY
MUCH.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH ENCOURAGES PARENTS AND
GUARDIANS OF 12 TO 15-YEAR-OLDS
TO SCHEDULE A VACCINATION
THROUGH THEIR HEALTH CARE
PROVIDER, LOCAL AND TRIBAL
HEALTH DEPARTMENTS OR AT
PHARMACIES.
YOU CAN GO TO VACCINES..GOV TO
LOCATE A SITE OR CALL THE
VACCINE HOTLINE AT