Less than 5% of youngest children in Henrico have received COVID-19 vaccine

It’s been nearly a month since children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years old became eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, but so far in Henrico fewer than 900 have received their first doses, according to Virginia Department of Health data.

Only 906 children in that age range – or just more than 4% of that total population in Henrico – have started the vaccination process, the data shows. (About 36% of those children have been vaccinated since July 7, the first day on which the VDH began reporting vaccination totals for the age group.)

Richmond and Henrico Health District officials had expected that about 20% of the newly eligible children would be vaccinated very soon after the June 20 approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but so far that has not been the case – in either locality or statewide (where about 5% of those children have been begun the vaccination process).

RHHD officials also anticipated that most young children would be vaccinated at pediatricians’ offices or pharmacies, but that hasn’t played out yet, either; to date, most (56%) of Henrico children 6 months to 5 years old who have been vaccinated have received their shots at RHHD events, RHHD Senior Public Health Nurse Nicole McCurrach told the Citizen. Those events, which operate at three locations 3 to 4 hours weekly, have been 90% to 100% full, she said.

But why the lag in vaccinations for the youngest eligible children? It’s possible that general malaise about the virus has reduced the sense of urgency felt by some parents (even as Henrico remains in the high COVID-19 Community Level designation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), while some others simply may not have intended to vaccinate their children at all.

In addition, McCurrach said, some pediatricians officers are not offering the vaccines – and the nation’s largest pharmacy chain, CVS, initially did not offer vaccinations for anyone younger than 3 (though it later reduced that age to 18 months).

Although the number of youngsters who have been vaccinated is low, McCurrach said that the feedback from parents of those who have been vaccinated has been rewarding.

“A lot of people have said things like, ‘We’ve been waiting two years for this, or ‘Thank you so much for being here to offer this, our son has never met his grandfather or grandmother,’” she said.

The children vaccinated by the RHHD have received the Moderna vaccine at about a 4-to-1 rate over the Pfizer vaccine, she said. She attributed that in part to the fact that the Moderna vaccine requires only two visits four weeks apart, while the Pfizer vaccine requires three over 11 weeks. Moderna’s version also includes a higher concentration of vaccine and the ability for children to be better protected faster.

For those reasons, “I think Moderna is better,” McCurrach said.

There have been no reports to RHHD officials about side effects from either vaccine among the youngest children so far, she said. Nurses at RHHD events have observed no effects among children during the 15-minute waiting period after the vaccines have been administered, she said, and staffers have heard no negative feedback among families who are returning for their children’s second doses of the Pfizer shot. (Those who received the Moderna vaccine on the first day it was offered for babies and young children will be eligible to receive their second doses July 20.)

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Because Henrico and Richmond remain in the high Community Level designation, RHHD officials have for weeks been encouraging people in both localities to wear masks indoors around people who are not from their household.

“Keep up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, follow isolation/quarantine guidance when sick/exposed, wear a well fitting mask when indoors, and improve ventilation in indoor spaces!” they wrote in an email to residents Friday.

But earlier Friday, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office, in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Health issued new guidance indicating that mask-wearing is not routinely recommended (but still available as an option to those who choose it) in child care, K-12 schools or day camp settings indoors or outdoors, except during specific isolation scenarios for people who have tested positive and those who are symptomatic. (Local health departments are divisions of the VDH.)

People who were exposed to the virus but are asymptomatic “may consider wearing a mask around others indoors until Day 10,” the new guidance reads.

In addition, “masking is never recommended in these [child care, school or day camp] settings while the individual is eating, drinking, sleeping, or for children under the age of 2,” according to the guidance.

The new guidance suggests that anyone in a school, child care or day camp environment who has symptoms (regardless of vaccination status) should begin to isolate at home, counting the day symptoms began as Day 0. Those who subsequently test positive should isolate at home for at least five days and should mask through Day 10, but they may return to programming after Day 5 if they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours and their symptoms have been resolving or are gone, according to the guidance.

An exception, however, is that anyone who is unable or unwilling to mask should present a negative test on or after Day 6 in order to return or else remain home through Day 10.

Exposed people who are asymptomatic are not expected to quarantine, the guidance reads.

McCurrach conceded that the conflicting messaging can be confusing for citizens.

“I know we’re all – including those of us in healthcare – we’re all really tired of wearing masks,” she said. “But the proof is in the pudding and in the research and development. It’s worth wearing them a little bit longer in an effort to get our numbers even back down to [the] medium [Community Level], that would be nice.

“And just get as many people vaccinated as possible.”