Nicklaus Children’s Hospital offers COVID-19 vaccines for teens and young adults

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Florida – Floridians aged 16 to 21 with health conditions that make them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 can register to be vaccinated at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital from next week, the Miami-Dade facility.

Doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be available for people this age who are “currently in the care of doctors or specialists for medical conditions identified by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as being at increased risk of serious illness associated with COVID.” -19. Nicklaus said in a press release.

Appointment requests can be submitted at Nicklauschildrens.org/Covid19Vaccine from Monday March 8.

Applicants will be required to provide the Florida COVID-19 Extreme Vulnerability Determination form completed by their physician.

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The hospital says it has already vaccinated 500 eligible patients “through outreach in other area hospitals and health systems, pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists in Florida, resulting in hundreds of referrals for appointments. you for vaccines. “

Nicklaus’ chief medical officer Dr Marcos Mestre says that of the 700+ doses they administered to these patients, “we saw no complications.”

The expansion to allow online registrations to the public comes after the hospital recently received an additional allocation of Pfizer photos.

“While most children are only mildly affected by COVID-19, those with complex illnesses may be at risk of serious illness if they contract the virus,” said Matthew A. Love, chief executive officer of the Nicklaus Children’s Health System, in a statement. “We are honored to be able to offer the vaccine to support the care of vulnerable children in Florida.”

Conditions that increase risk, as identified by the CDC, include asthma (moderate to severe), cancer, cerebrovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, cystic fibrosis, diabetes (type 1 or 2) , Down syndrome, heart disease, hypertension, immunocompromised diseases, liver disease, neurological disorders, obesity, pulmonary fibrosis, sickle cell anemia or thalassemia.

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Diego Diaz, 18, has cystic fibrosis and just received his second dose earlier this week thanks to Nicklaus.

“More than grateful,” he said. “I hope other hospitals take note and start to do the same, because I really think we should be prioritizing not just a certain age group, but a demographic that is most at risk.” . “

Diaz added: “It’s always a concern that maybe there is someone next to you who has it, maybe someone you miss might have COVID, so it it’s always scary to go out. “

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is approved for people 16 years of age and older. (Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are permitted for ages 18 and over.)

There is limited data on how the vaccine affects the pediatric population, but Mestre said studies are underway for patients aged 12 to 16 and “hope that by the end of the year we will also have a vaccine available for them. “

Pfizer and Moderna plan to begin studies in children 11 and under later this year, as researchers examine in more detail whether the injections are safe for younger patients.

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For more information on Nicklaus’ vaccination program, click here.

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