As a physician and parent, Shane Speights, MD, was excited about the announcement that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine would be made available to those age 12-15. Friday morning, Speights’ 13-year-old son Parker was among the first in line when St. Bernard’s Medical Center began offering the vaccine to those in the newly-approved age group.
“I’m fully confident in the safety and efficacy of this vaccine, so much so that I’ve made it a priority to get each of my children vaccinated as soon as they were eligible,” said Speights, who serves as the dean of New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University and medical director for the City of Jonesboro.
“As a parent, I’m so grateful that another one of my children is one step closer to being protected from this awful virus. As a physician, I’m excited that this new group of individuals have access to the vaccine so we as a society can take another big step toward ending this pandemic.”
The new directives came after the publication and review of a clinical trial that included more than 2,000 children age 12-15. According to the CDC, there were no serious adverse events associated with those who received the vaccine in the trial.
“The data is extremely strong,” Speights said. “The technology is incredible. This vaccine for adults is about 95% effective in preventing contraction, and it’s almost 100% effective in preventing severe illness and hospitalization. The data for those aged 12-15 showed 100% efficacy in preventing illness. This is more evidence that they’re safe and they work.”
Speights said he understands why parents – even ones who have received the vaccine themselves – may be hesitant to have their children immunized against COVID-19. However, he urges people of all ages to trust the science and understand how important it is for people to protect themselves and their families.
“Historically, it is has been much less common for young people to get really sick if they contract COVID, but now we are seeing a shift,” Speights said. “With new variants circulating in our country and state, they seem to hit children and young adults harder than the original strain. As a parent and a doctor, those are risks I’m just not willing to take. That’s why I’ve made it a priority for my family to be vaccinated and I encourage everyone to do so as well.”