Delaware’s COVID vaccines for kids are still hard to find
Can I still access the COVID vaccine?
New COVID vaccine guidelines implemented by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has Americans confused.
For several weeks, insured Delawareans looking to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 were being told to look elsewhere for their kids’ booster — in some cases, forcing parents to visit out-of-state clinics.
Delaware’s Division of Public Health now claims, in time for the holidays, they have made COVID-19 vaccines available at their clinics for everyone in the state, regardless of their insurance status. The boosters were available through the state’s Vaccines for Children program to those under the age of 19 who were uninsured, underinsured or on Medicaid.
“The option is already in place,” Kelly Callahan, a division spokesperson told Delaware Online/The News Journal in late October.
Callahan cautioned, however, that availability might vary by location and day based on supply and demand.
“Individuals are advised to call their closest clinic to confirm availability and schedule an appointment,” she said.
A call to the seven public health clinics listed on the state’s “Where can I get my vaccine?” webpage resulted with mixed results on Nov. 12.
Two of those locations, Williams Public Health Clinic in Dover and Porter Public Health Clinic in Wilmington, said they had the vaccine for children under the age of 2. There is a cost for the vaccine, but both said they accepted insured people.
The Hudson Public Health Clinic in Newark line became disconnected when one reached out to the public health option, while Edward W. Pyle State Service Center in Frankford said they did not see children.
The other locations said they did not have the vaccine, but recommended one try their pediatrician or a local pharmacy. A representative from the Anna C. Shipley State Service Center in Seaford said if a person has a doctor’s prescription, they can call in to make an appointment and the staff would place an order for it.
Not just in Delaware
It’s been difficult finding the vaccine in Delaware for young children, especially those under the age of 2 who are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 — even if healthy.
Many public health experts say that fear and confusion are a result of the COVID-19 vaccine policies established under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. − and some of them believe that’s by design.
Dr. Daniel Griffin, a Long Island infectious disease specialist, described the Aug. 27 vaccine announcement by the Food and Drug Administration, which operates under HHS, as less an approval of the shots and more an administrative restriction of access to them.
COVID-19 inoculations that used to be readily available at major drug stores and other outlets, often even without an appointment, now require a medical consultation for those under age 65 who don’t have an underlying condition that puts them at increased risk of severe illness.
A mother’s journey for vaccines
With her pediatrician not carrying the COVID-19 vaccine, Nikki Lavoie spent weeks searching for places in Delaware where she could get her three children vaccinated.
“For us, this matters,” Lavoie told Delaware Online/The News Journal in October. “My husband, Sean, is a wounded veteran with reduced lung capacity and a respiratory virus could seriously impact him. We vaccinate to protect him — and everyone around us.”
Lavoie said it was easier to get the shots for her and her 15-year-old daughter. But getting her 7- and 2-year-old boys inoculated was the challenge, even causing her to leave the state in search of the vaccine.
Children under 12 need a different version of the COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccines available for those younger than 12 are lower doses than those approved for older people, according to Dr. Jonathan Miller of Nemours Children’s Health.
Moderna and Pfizer have COVID-19 vaccines approved for children under age 12: Pfizer has a vaccine for children ages 5 years and older, while Moderna has a vaccine for children ages 6 months and older.
Lavoie tried drugstores, such as CVS, but was told they were not offering it for her young children. They suggested Lavoie try MinuteClinics — a walk-in health clinic located inside retail stores.
Lavoie found a MinuteClinic that appeared to offer pediatric doses in Delaware. She made an appointment but when she arrived, she was told the location didn’t accept her insurance — something, she said, the website never mentioned. The staff also couldn’t tell her which locations do accept her insurance.
“I spent hours on hold, transferred from one call center to another, trying to find a clinic that had pediatric doses and took our insurance,” she said.
Eventually, she focused on getting the vaccine for her 7-year-old son and found online a Walgreens near Elsmere. But after pulling her son out of school to get him the shot at the store, she was told they didn’t have the pediatric dose — and never did.
The store manager, who couldn’t tell her why she was able to make the online appointment there, helped her call around to other branches. After several misses, Lavoie said they found a Walgreens on Philadelphia Pike that had it.
“We drove straight there, and Christopher finally just got his shots,” she said.
A few days later, Lavoie was able to get a vaccine for her 2-year-old vaccinated at a MinuteClinic in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
The entire process took her a couple of weeks, in which she said she took her children out of school and nursery care, as well as taking time off from work in hopes of getting them vaccinated.
“I’ve learned firsthand how difficult it has become to get children vaccinated against COVID-19 in Delaware,” Lavoie said.
Lavoie wondered about single parents who can’t take time off work to make 10 phone calls or drive across towns and counties. Or the families without insurance, transportation or internet access to navigate online scheduling systems that don’t work.
“I’m a resourceful mom,” she said. “I have a flexible job, a reliable car and the persistence to keep calling and driving until I find a dose. But what about families who don’t?”
Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or [email protected].
link
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/The-1-Nut-to-Raise-Your-HDL-Good-Cholesterol-Levels-e6c7c34935fa4648b8a7d952c7c6ead3.jpg "The Best Nut for Your HDL (Good) Cholesterol Levels")