HOUSTON — The Spinner family has been looking forward to this next for a long time. It’s when the CDC is expected to authorize COVID-19 vaccines for elementary school kids who are five to 11 years old.
The FDA signed off on the kid-size doses Friday.
“We were vaccinated, but our lives didn’t change very much because we have two young children who aren’t able to be,” said Emily Spinner, a Houston mom.
The family enrolled their kids, one-year-old Julie and four-year-old Hannah, in the vaccine clinical trial at Texas Children’s Hospital. However, they don’t know if their girls got the real shots and are protected.
“We find out on her birthday when she turns five if she received the placebo or if she was vaccinated. If she was vaccinated, amazing. If she was not, her birthday present will be a shot in the arm. It’s the best present ever,” said Spinner.
Hannah turns five years old in November.
Hannah’s dad, Dr. Joseph Spinner, is a pediatric cardiologist at Texas Children’s. Although rare, he’s seen the serious impacts of COVID-19 on some kids firsthand. He says protecting his children with the vaccine is a no-brainer.
“I think families should speak to their pediatrician and ask them about the vaccine. I think they’ll see pediatricians aren’t just recommending the vaccine for their patients, but also their own children,” said Dr. Spinner.