WACO, Texas — The CDC voted to authorize the COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 6-months-old earlier this month.
Doctors at the Texas Children's Hospital said the demand for the shots is high. They've already administered about 6,000 shots at their locations across the state and hope to do a lot more.
"As a parent who has not yet felt comfortable or decided to immunize their child, what are you waiting for?" Chief Medical Officer Dr. Stan Spinner said. "I'll be honest. What are you waiting for? This is the time to do it?"
"I tell the parents when do you want to cross this street with your child? Do you want to cross the street when there's one or two cars, or do you want to hold his hand when there's rush hour?" Pediatrician Dr. Ana Avalos said. "So this is the point: this is when to vaccinate your child."
While doctors acknowledge parents might have concerns, they also say the vaccines are safe, effective, and should be given to all children.
"The vaccination is there to protect the child, to keep them well and keep them safe," Dr. Spinner said. "The government and the FDA set a very high bar when it comes to approval of vaccinations for children."
Health experts say COVID cases are on the rise again statewide and with home testing becoming more popular, they worry numbers might be even higher than what's being reported.
"When your kids are going places whether it's camp, summer school, being around friends, or families doing these things we're seeing people getting infected left and right," Dr. Spinner said.
