 After the FDA's emergency approval of the COVID-19 vaccine for ages 5 to 11, Mountaintop spoke with Pikeville Medical Center about vaccine administration and the importance of keeping your child protected against the virus. And because children, you know, a lot of people say that children are just tiny adults. That is untrue. As the news comes that kids ages 5 to 11 are now eligible for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, some parents may be wondering how it'll affect their child. In preparation for the vaccine's administration this Monday, doctors from Pikeville Medical Center advised parents and guardians on the vaccine's effects and why you should feel safe. There's been a lot of studies done in these new trials that they did before the FDA approval and the CDC approval. There was really very little side effects. The side effects were very similar to regular vaccines. That was also true for our kids for 12 and up. It's been even more true really for the 5 to 11 age group. Even the incidents of myocarditis and the cardiac problems that are people are concerned with were not found to be an issue in this age group. Also, you know, we've had a really hard time going back and forth trying to get our kids to go to school and, you know, do school from home. When we vaccinate our children we can feel safe sending them to school to learn like they used to. And it is a way for us to try to return to, you know, to the way things used to be. And this vaccine is a clear pathway to do that for our children to keep them safe. And while doctors Wells and Stein say the vaccine is safe for kids, they also mentioned some of the differences in dosing. Oftentimes we don't need the full dose for children in order to get an adequate immune response. And through much of the testing that's been done, it's been found that an adequate response can occur with just a third of the dose. Yes. And just like the adults, the kids vaccine is you get a repeat dose in three weeks. Okay. That is just like the adult dose for Pfizer. The pediatric dose for Pfizer is also with the second dose comes in three weeks. That's right. And it's very natural for our immune system to require a booster, just like we do when we're children and we get booster shots for tetanus or other vaccines. It's very common and need a booster and it helps to strengthen the immune system against COVID-19. Here at Pikeville Medical Center's Heart and Vascular Institute, we have assembled a comprehensive team of cardiac specialists bringing expertise from all regions of the nation and the world. We have coupled that with cutting edge technology, providing them the best equipment and operating rooms available. The result is comprehensive cardiac care for the people of our region that is second to none. The Heart and Vascular Institute at Pikeville Medical Center. Doctors Wells and Stein also mentioned changes in the COVID-19 virus itself, stating that children can be vulnerable. Yes, we've had lots of children that have tested positive for COVID-19 and had symptoms definitely with COVID-19. We have had multiple admissions at our hospital of children with COVID-19 in multiple age groups, including the age groups that are being vaccinated now. And in the previous waves of COVID, it was very common for it to not really affect our kids all that much, but that has changed drastically with the emergence of new strains. And it's been found that the vaccines that we're using are effective against these new strains, the virus, including the Delta variant. So it's very important to vaccinate our children because studies have shown that these new variants are coming for our kids and they're coming for some of our most vulnerable. So it's important to get them vaccinated. Afterward, we spoke with AVP of physician practices, Stormy Atkins, about how you can get your child vaccinated. We are so happy to announce that Pikeville Medical Center will begin giving the COVID-19 vaccine to kids ages 5 to 11, starting Monday, November the 8th, from 3.30 to 7 p.m. And these will be given by appointment only. The vaccines will be administered at our brand new beautiful pediatric clinic in the Urgent and Family Wellness Center on Cassidy Boulevard. Now to schedule an appointment, the only thing you need to do is call 606-430-2230. Reporting from Pikeville, Kentucky, for Mountain Top News, I'm Joel Forgell.