DENVER (KDVR) — Now that the Pfizer vaccine will be available for children 12 and older, it’s decision time for parents.
Michelle Garcia of Castle Pines is weighing the options for her son. Garcia is a nurse who has worked in the COVID ICU for the past 14 months.
“My youngest person was 18, and she didn’t make it,” Garcia said.
That’s something she’s thinking about as she and her family decide whether her 12-year-old son, Harry, should be vaccinated.
“We are definitely leaning towards getting the Pfizer vaccine,” she said.
Garcia has read the studies and talked to Harry about the decision.
“His opinion is important,” she said. “It’s scary all together, but I’m trusting science.”
Dr. Suchitra Rao with Children’s Hospital Colorado hopes others will do the same.
“Those are really outstanding study results,” Rao said. “The time is now to get the vaccine. We know it’s safe. We know it works well. We know it was studied well.”
Rao wants parents to consider that pediatric cases are increasing.
“We are seeing severe infections in kids. We are seeing more infections in kids,” she said.
Rao says that vaccinating our children can help move us toward a new normal, and that’s something Garcia is hoping for as well.
“I’m just ready for us to have a normal life, and I feel like this is part of it,” she said.
Eligible children can get vaccinated any place that offers the Pfizer vaccine. They may need a parent or guardian to accompany them.