Dr. Kristin Moffitt on teen vaccination misinformation



CARTER IS THE OLDEST LIVING PRESIDENT. EMILY: HEALTHY KIDS AGES 16 AND OLDER ARE AUTHORIZED TO GET THE PFIZER VACCINE, EVEN AS SOME PARENTS WONDER, WHAT ARE THE RISKS. HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AT BOSTON’S CHILDREN HOSPITAL. GOOD TO SEE YOU. >> GOOD TO SEE YOU TOO. EMILY: SO TODAY OUR REPORTER TALKED WITH THE EXPERTS ABOUT SOME OF THE MISINFORMATION THAT’S OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA. WHAT DO YOU WANT PARENTS TO KNOW ABOUT VACCINATING THEIR TEENS? >> SO, THE EXCITING NEWS IS THAT NATIONALLY NOW, OVER 1.516 MILLION AND 17-YEAR-OLDS HAVE RECEIVED THEIR FIRST DOSE OF THE PFIZER VACCINE AND OVER 400,000, 16 AND 17-YEAR-OLDS HAVE RECEIVED THE SECOND DOSE OF THE PFIZER VACCINE, AND WITH ONGOING FOLLOWUP FOR ADVERSE EVENTS, IT CONTINUES TO BE SHOWN THAT THIS VACCINE IS VERY SAFE IN THAT AGE GROUP. I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GOOD CHANCE FOR FAMILIES TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH THEIR TEEN AGERS ABOUT HOW TO VETTE ACCURATE INFORMATION ON LINE AS WELL. THERE IS SO MUCH INFORMATION OUT THERE, CERTAINLY AVAILABLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND IT’S AN IMPORTANT CHANCE TO REALLY TALK WITH TEENAGERS ABOUT WHERE TO GET ACCURATE INFORMATION THAT’S SCIENCE BASED, WHICH IS NOT LIKELY TO BE THE CASE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, IF SOMEONE IS DESCRIBING THEIR OWN SINGLE PERSON EXPERIENCE OR THAT OF SOMEONE THAT THEY KNOW. EMILY: THAT IS A GREAT POINT AND I THINK LEADS TO MY NEXT QUESTION. YOU KNOW, COVID HAS ONLY BEEN AROUND FOR A YEAR, WE’VE HAD VACCINES FOR FIVE MONTHS, SO MAYBE EVEN SOME PARENTS WHO ARE LOOKING AT THIS INFORMATION, HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THOSE THAT SAY, OK, I READ ALL OF THIS, BUT I JUST WANT TO WAIT AND THE SEE WHAT THE LONG-TERM RISKS ARE? >> YEAH. I CAN APPRECIATE WHERE THAT CONCERN WOULD COME FROM. BUT MY RESPONSE WOULD BE, THAT IN OUR WORLDWIDE HISTORY OF VACCINATION, THAT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, EVERY VACCINE TECHNOLOGY WAS CONSIDERED NEW TECHNOLOGY, WHEN IT STARTED TO BE ADMINISTERED BROADLY TO HUMANS. AND THAT ALL VACCINES ADMINISTERED TO HUMANS ARE FOLLOWED VERY CAREFULLY FOR THEIR SAFETY PROFILES, ONCE THEY BEGIN GOING INTO LARGE PORTIONS OF THE POPULATION AND THAT FROM DECADES AND DECADES OF EXPERIENCE NOW, WITH MULTIPLE DIFFERENT VACCI TECHNOLOGIES, DATA HAVE CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED THAT ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH VACCINES, EVEN THE VERY RARE ONES, TEND TO OCCUR IN THE FIRST SIX WEEKS AFTER GETTING A VACCINE. SO WE NOW HAVE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WELL BEYOND THAT WINDOW OF CONCERN. AND WE DO NOT YET HAVE ANY SAFETY SIGNALS ARISING. SO I WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE THOSE FAMILIES TO RECONSIDER THIS THEORETICAL RISK THAT SEEMS EXCEEDINGLY UNLIKELY TO REALLY BEAR OUT. WI THE — WHAT’S WELL DESCRIBED AND KNOWN BENEFIT THAT SOMEONE MIGHT DERIVE FROM GETTING A COVID-19 VACCINE RIGHT NOW. EMILY: SO WE’RE TALK ABOUT THE OLDER KIDS. NO VACCINES AUTHORIZED YET FOR THE YOUNGER ONES, BUT THERE’S EVIDENCE THAT NURSING MOMS WHO ARE VACCINATED, THEY HAVE ANTIBODIES IN THE BREAST MILK THAT CAN OFFER SOME PROTECTION TO THEIR BABIES. SO THIS IS A QUESTION WE’VE HEARD A COUPLE TIMES NOW. WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE TO NEW MOMS WHO MIGHT WANT TO SHARE THAT MILK WITH THEIR OTHER KIDS? IS THERE ANY BENEFIT TO THAT? >> I THINK THE SHORT ANSWER IS THAT IT’S JUST TOO EARLY TO KNOW. I THINK THE DATA THAT NURSING MOTHER WHO’S BEEN VACCINATED DEVELOPS ANTIBODIES THAT ARE DETECTABLE IN THE BREAST MILK IS VERY EXCITING FOR NURSING MOTHERS AND PROVIDES YET ANOTHER REASON, OTHER THAN JUST PROTECTING HERSELF, BUT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF PROTECTING THEIR NURSING INFANT, PROVIDES ANOTHER REASON TO REALLY ENCOURAGE COVID-19 VACCINATION IN THOSE INDIVIDUALS. I THINK THE POSSIBILITY OF COVID-19 IMMUNITY TO A NURSING INFANT IS CONCEIVABLE, BECAUSE THEY ARE NURSING REALLY REGULARLY, WE DON’T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT T DURABLEBILITY OF THE ANTIBODIES. THE LIKELIHOOD OF SPORADICALLY FEEDING BREAST MILK TO AN OLDER CHILD AND CONFERRING IMMUNITY SEEMS L LESS LIKELY, BUT THE S

Dr. Kristin Moffitt on teen vaccination misinformation

VIDEO: Dr. Kristin Moffitt with Boston Children’s Hospital answers questions about misinformation that can be found on social media ab out vaccines for teens.

VIDEO: Dr. Kristin Moffitt with Boston Children’s Hospital answers questions about misinformation that can be found on social media ab out vaccines for teens.

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