COVID vaccine for children in Colorado – Our experience
The topic of the Covid vaccine for children, similar to its version for adults, is the topic of much controversy and heated debates.
Many parents, justifiably, have concerns about the long-term effects of the vaccine on their children and worry about what is yet to be discovered about the adverse effects of the vaccine on their children.
I am certainly not one to dismiss the concerns and encourage all to choose one way or the other. For us, the right choice is/was vaccination.
So in this blog, I will share our experience and will offer resources to help you make an educated decision.
The first step
I was told by an acquaintance on Friday, Oct 29th that Children’s Hospital in Colorado is taking advance sign-ups. Although we tried to book an appointment for my son, we could not find an empty slot.
All the appointments have to be scheduled through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and you can use this link if you want to book through the Children’s Hospital.
Luckily, the office of our pediatrician sent us an email and notified us that they were beginning to vaccinate their patients starting November 6th. It was lucky that I was able to book an appointment for my son because, within 30 minutes of my confirmation, we received another email that said all appointments were filled.
You should definitely contact your pediatrician and find out if they offer the vaccine for young children. This is a list of pediatricians within Colorado who are offering the vaccine. Keep in mind that this list is updated very frequently so please check the link often.
How it all went by?
Our appointment was today (Saturday, November 6th) at 3:30 PM in Wheatridge, Colorado. We arrived on time and met with a person outside of the building who instructed us to fill out a form (information about the patient and of course consent).
After we turned in our completed form, we were asked to follow the red arrows on the floor to the second floor (we were not allowed to use the elevator and I was grateful). Once we got to the second floor (more red arrows to follow), we checked in and were told to stand in a line marked by red arrows! It was actually fun.
There were about 5 or six families in front of us and each of us was called to go to a certain room to have the vaccine administered.
Ms. Nickie was our nurse and had the best attitude. She asked my son to lie down on the table and within 10 seconds, it was done. My son elected to have the vaccine in his left thigh and although he complained that it hurt, within 5 minutes, he had forgotten all about it.
We continued to follow the red arrows to a large waiting area and we were greeted by a cheering crowd who clapped, cheered, and celebrated my son’s vaccination event. This indeed was a celebratory moment for me; I was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. After 15 minutes of “observation time”, we left the clinic and I was just about to get down and kiss the ground.
You see, I was born and raised in Iran. I still have family and friends there. In Iran and most everywhere in the world, COVID vaccines are only available to a select few and they are certainly not free.
Even the COVID vaccine for children and adults that are available has much lower efficacy than our Pfizer and Moderna. People in my home country of Iran and I am sure many other places pay hefty sums, travel to countries abroad, and go to great lengths to be able to have a fraction of the privileges that we have in this country.
I am an immigrant and my blood will always be Iranian but I am forever grateful for being accepted to live in the United States of America. America is and will always be the very best country in the world.
Are there any side effects?
It is now about seven hours past my son’s vaccination time and he has had no symptoms. He doesn’t even have a sore leg.
Everything is going great and we have already scheduled his second dose for early December.
Closing thoughts on COVID vaccine for children
Here is some information about the vaccine and some of the most frequently asked questions. I hope you find this information helpful as you contemplate or plan on getting the COVID vaccine for your children.
My hope is that by providing scientific evidence, we can help everyone make an educated decision based on facts versus what our media reports or what we hear from biased perspectives.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation
- The science behind COVID vaccine and parent’s FAQs
- Vaccination studies on children in Colorado
Lastly, here are a couple of similar blog posts on pandemic and its effects –