San Antonio – Parents across San Antonio will be getting their children ready to go back to school in just a few weeks.
Along with backpacks and uniforms, they also have to consider the COVID-19 shot if their child is eligible to receive it.
Pediatrician John Fitch, with Heritage Pediatrics, says those who are going to get it have just enough time now.
“You need three weeks between the 1st and 2nd shot and then two weeks after the 2nd to be fully immunized against it,” he explained.
He said doctors are bracing for the possibility of high COVID-19 infections among youth once school returns. Fitch explained that parents holding back from the vaccine are worried about the side effects on kids.
“My biggest endorsement is I’ve given it to my 12-year-old daughter, so I feel comfortable giving it to my patients,” he said.
Fitch thinks the data about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines on children under 12 will likely be available in mid-fall and their eligibility to receive the vaccine will soon follow.
Metro Health is putting together several pop-up clinics at area schools to help make it more convenient for those families to get their shots before the start of the school year.