Poll: Vaccinations For Young Children In McHenry Co.

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — In the coming weeks, children 5 to 11 years old in McHenry County and across the United States could begin receiving their first COVID-19 shots.

For some parents, it's been a long time coming. For others, the vaccine may not be their answer to combatting the spread of a virus that has now killed 25,491 people in Illinois, including more than 300 in McHenry County.

McHenry County residents, like many residents across the U.S., have strong opinions about the vaccine: some have been adamantly in support of it, eagerly awaiting their children being able to receive their shots; while others have continuously bucked public health advice to voice their disdain for the vaccine.

In recent weeks, anti-vaccination advocates have been protesting a requirement for teachers to be vaccinated in Illinois, as well as masking requirements in schools. Some parents, angered over schools' COVID-19 mitigation plans, have reportedly threatened school board members and teachers.

To date, there have been more than 34,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the county, which has a total population of 307,000. As of Friday, there were 16 outbreaks of the virus tired back to classrooms, athletic programs or buses serving McHenry County students, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Outbreaks can lead to a loss in learning time for those who become sick and close contacts who are required to quarantine. In recent weeks, it led to Hampshire High School switching to virtual learning after 37 students there tested positive for the virus.

With vaccine approval on the horizon, will you plan to vaccinate your children ages 5 to 11 years old? Let us know in our unofficial and unscientific poll, which is simply meant to gauge McHenry County parents' overall opinion regarding the vaccine for young children.

On Wednesday, the White House announced its vaccine rollout plan. On Oct. 26, the FDA’s independent advisory committee will meet to discuss approving the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, and the CDC’s independent advisory committee will meet on November 2 and 3 to issue their recommendation.

If approved, vaccination clinics at doctors' offices, hospitals, pharmacies, community health centers and schools are slated to offer the smaller dose of the vaccine intended for children, with the administration adding that over 25,000 pediatric and primary care sites will also provide shots. According to the White House, the U.S. has enough vaccine for the 28 million children between the ages of 5 and 11.

More Details On Vaccination

Illinois has not issued any mandate requiring children to be vaccinated to attend in-person school. Masks are required, and teachers, college students and higher education professionals must be vaccinated under an executive order issued in September by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The vaccine, if approved, will be administered in two shots given 21 days apart.

Pfizer tested its COVID vaccine on 2,268 children in the 5-11 age group, announcing on Sept. 20 that the vaccine showed positive results when children were given a third of the dose that was given to adults.

The children demonstrated a strong immune response one month after the second dose, Pfizer said in a statement. Further, the COVID-19 vaccine was well tolerated, with side effects generally comparable to those observed in participants 16 to 25 years old.

Study results from the infant and toddler trial are expected to come sometime in November or December. The 11-to-15 age group has been eligible for the Pfizer vaccine since May.

Per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, hospitalizations and COVID-19 related deaths are uncommon in children, though experts still warn of serious complications that could arise in the long-term.

"Millions of adolescents ages 12-17 have been safely vaccinated, and we know vaccines work. Fully vaccinated individuals are 10 times less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 and have a high degree of protection, including against the Delta variant," the White House said in a statement. "The consequences of a pediatric COVID-19 case can be serious and potentially last months."

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