Vaccinate or not children under 5 years of age against covid-19?
What you should know 4:17
(CNN)--
Elmo, everyone's favorite red Muppet, has already received the vaccine against covid-19.
In a public service announcement released Tuesday by Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, Elmo's father Louie -- who is also a Muppet -- shared his concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine. for children under 5 years.
Elmo is 3 and a half years old.
Elmo's father, Louie, shared his doubts about the covid vaccination.
"'Is it safe? Is it the right decision?'
I talked to our pediatrician so we could make the right decision," Louie said in the ad. "I learned that Elmo getting the vaccine is the best way for him, our friends, neighbors and everyone to stay healthy and enjoy the things they do. love”.
Covid-19 vaccines are now available for children under 5, and parents are likely to have concerns, said Jeanette Betancourt, senior vice president of US social impact for Sesame Workshop.
"We hope that Louie and Elmo will inspire parents and guardians across the country to talk to their health providers and seek information about how COVID-19 vaccines can help children and their families stay healthy," Betancourt said. in an email.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the emergency use of Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech covid-19 vaccines to include children up to 6 months in June .
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), authorized vaccination against covid-19 for children under 5 years of age on June 17, after advisers on vaccines from the CDC voted unanimously that same day to recommend the use of the vaccine in children younger than 5 years.
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Although these vaccines are now available, some parents are reluctant to vaccinate their children right away.
Only 18% of parents of children under 5 said they would vaccinate their children against Covid-19 as soon as the vaccine became available, according to an April survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation Vaccine Monitor.
And 38% of parents surveyed said they would "wait and see" before vaccinating their young children.
"There were nearly 5.7 million pediatric COVID-19 cases in the US in 2022 alone, making vaccination an important step in protecting children and their families against this highly contagious virus and its variants." "says a press release from the Ad Council and Sesame Workshop.
As of June 22, nearly 30% of children ages 5 to 11 and nearly 60% of children ages 12 to 17 were fully vaccinated against Covid-19, according to the CDC.
The two children of Dr. Leana Wen, a CNN medical analyst, ages 2 and 4, received the first dose of the covid-19 vaccine on Monday, June 27.
Although Wen was eager to vaccinate her children, she knows that many parents are hesitant.
"We have to respect that people have questions, and this video recognizes that parents want to do the right thing for their children and encourages them to seek information from a trusted source: their pediatrician," Wen said by email.
The ad is a "beautiful" example of healthy behavior and a way to help people realize it's okay to have questions about the vaccine, said Dr. Neha Chaudhary, a child psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and College of Medicine from Harvard and medical director of BeMe Health.
CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for children 6 months and older, paving the way for vaccinations to start soon
"I imagine there will be children and parents who see this and feel that they, too, can ask those questions, solve them, and go ahead and get the COVID-19 vaccine if their doctor gives them the go-ahead," Chaudhary said by email.
Children form powerful bonds with their favorite media characters, so it can be helpful for children to learn by watching a "friend" go through something new and potentially frightening, said Dr. Jenny Radesky, an associate professor of pediatrics. at the University of Michigan CS Mott Children's Hospital.
"It's natural that getting a vaccine stresses both children and their parents," Radesky said by email.
"I appreciate when media creators cleverly put little tidbits into their stories that help families cope."
ElmoInstaNewsvaccine against covid-19
