By Demetrius Dillard
On Oct. 29, the Food and Drug Administration announced its authorization for the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to include children aged 5 to 11.
As expected, the news has sparked mass controversy throughout the U.S. as skeptics, conspiracy theorists and others have raised doubts, concerns and questions regarding the efficacy or usefulness of the vaccine.
“The authorization was based on the FDA’s thorough and transparent evaluation of the data that included input from independent advisory committee experts who overwhelmingly voted in favor of making the vaccine available to children in this age group,” the FDA said in a release.
Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has seemed to create a clash of two worlds. Things have only worsened since the vaccine was approved for adults several months ago.
In the midst of ongoing contention between pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine individuals and pro-mask and anti-maskers, the CDC and other research-based organizations have documented how social and health inequalities have put racial and ethnic minorities, namely Black and Hispanic communities, at increased risk of being negatively impacted by COVID-19.
Alarming statistics revealing the disproportionate effect the pandemic has had on minority groups have prompted local nonprofits like the Hispanic Health Council (HHC) to take urgent action.
Dionne Kotey, the director of wellness and health management at HHC, has been heavily involved in COVID-19 outreach efforts, from canvassing and going door to door, to attending COVID-related community events, to facilitating vaccine clinics.
As it relates to vaccine hesitancy, Kotey said she believes the opposition has come from various groups.
“As a member of the Black community, I feel there still is a sense of mistrust for things like this, for the healthcare system as a whole, so I can see where reservations will come from there,” Kotey said.
“I’ve been looking on social media, and I’ve heard and seen some of the things coming out – some wild conspiracies and some very, very valid concerns because it almost felt as if this came out so fast. Like, people didn’t have enough time to absorb the fact that adults were getting vaccinated, and now we see children are.”
Vaccines, such as the one used against COVID-19, have been studied for years, Kotey said, adding that coronaviruses aren’t new and have been assessed by medical professionals for many years, using the flu vaccine as an example.
“So what I’ll say is it’s safe for everyone. They didn’t just throw this out there, they tested it on people who were willing. Other people kind of volunteered themselves to be the test group, if you will, for this and [Pfizer] tested over 3,000 children,” she said.
“It’s proven to be effective at the very least, especially with the holidays coming up. I would encourage parents getting that so that they could protect the children and especially the older family members who might be due for a booster and couldn’t get the vaccine because they have a condition that prevents them from doing so.”
HHC is a recipient of a COVID-19 grant from the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health to address vaccine hesitancy among the Latino community and other vulnerable communities.
Additionally, the nonprofit received funding from the Hartford Health & Human Services Department, which has enabled HHC to launch in COVID outreach and education efforts in addition to facilitating COVID-19 vaccine clinics.
The nonprofit recently began a partnership with Hartford HealthCare, and now has a clinic at its office at 590 Park Street. Vaccines are administered in addition to other health screenings.
Connecticut has one of the highest immunization rates and one of the lowest infection rates in the nation, but its residents should still take the necessary actions to ensure they are protected, said Kotey, who earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of New England.
Kotey said she doesn’t pass judgment on those who have reservations to the vaccine because ultimately, it’s a personal choice. She encourages those who feel unsafe about the vaccine to continue mask-wearing and teaching their children proper hand-washing techniques along with social distancing.
The approach HHC would take in convincing a vaccine hesitant individual to perhaps get their child vaccinated would be offering the education and resources proving that it is safe, she highlighted.
“From a public health perspective, safety first. And if we’re going to get this thing contained, we have to protect the children so that we can limit the amount of community spread that seems to be ongoing,” Kotey said, adding that she plans to get her 7-year-old and 6-year-old children vaccinated.
“If you opt not to get your child vaccinated, maybe you yourself should get vaccinated so you have that extra layer of protection for your child.”
