Health district outlines COVID vaccine options

    Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department notes there are now several options available for COVID-19 vaccinations.
    The age groups that are eligible have expanded to include everyone 6 months of age and older, with mRNA and traditional vaccine options to choose from.
    “Going into the fall and winter seasons, having a COVID shot within the last six months is the best protection against severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19,” said  Melissa Propp, Clinic Manager for SWNPHD.
    “Cases have remained steady throughout the summer and are expected to rise during the fall like they have the past two years,” she said.
Adult vaccines
    Along with the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines that have been in use, adults 18 and older can now get Novavax, Propp said. Novavax is a protein-based COVID vaccine that is made like other traditional vaccines used to fight shingles and DTaP.
    Propp said it contains copies of the spike protein for SARS-CoV-2 and does not contain any live virus. It also does not contain PEG (polyethylene glycol) so may be used for people with allergies to PEG. It is only for primary series, not booster doses, and at this time cannot
be interchanged with other vaccine, she said.
Child vaccines
    Both Pfizer and Moderna now have COVID vaccines that are approved for children and adolescents age 6 months and older.
    COVID-19 has become one of the top 10 causes of pediatric death in the United States. According to Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, every week in Nebraska several children are hospitalized because of this virus, Propp said.
    While children and adolescents are typically at lower risk than adults of becoming severely ill or hospitalized from COVID-19, the effects of the virus are unpredictable.
    There are exceptions that happen, Propp said, and children can become very ill and need hospital care. Vaccination is the best way to protect children from COVID-19, she added.
    Before it was authorized for children across age groups, medical experts reviewed safety and effectiveness data from clinical trials involving thousands of children. Common side effects reported were redness and soreness at the injection site. Rare side effects include myocarditis and inflammation of the heart muscles, which can cause fatigue and chest pain. This was reported mainly in adolescents and was temporary, Propp said.
    Fact sheets with more information to help parents understand the risks and benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines are available on swhealth.ne.gov or at the SWNPHD offices in McCook and Ogallala.
    Propp also suggests that parents talk to their child’s healthcare provider if there are questions.