Vaccines for Children Ages 6 Months to Under 5 Years Will Be Available June 20

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— NCDHHS Press Release —

Children ages 6 months and older can now receive a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends all children who are eligible receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is available in North Carolina following the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) emergency use authorization and the CDC’s recommendation.

“Many parents and families have been eagerly awaiting a vaccine to protect our youngest North Carolinians,” said NCDHHS Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “These vaccines are the best way to protect children from COVID-19 — they are safe, effective and free.”

Children ages 6 months to younger than 5 get a smaller vaccine dose than any other age group. This vaccine dose differs from the vaccine that was previously authorized for children ages 5 to 11. Booster shots are currently not authorized for children in this age group.

As with all routine vaccinations for children, these vaccines were tested and reviewed by the FDA and the CDC and their independent scientific committees to ensure they are safe for children. Results from ongoing clinical trials that began in March 2021 showed the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines were safe and effective to protect children ages 6 months to under 5 years from COVID-19. The Pfizer vaccine is currently authorized for three doses, while the Moderna will initially begin as two. Moderna is currently testing their third dose, with data expected this summer.

There were no safety concerns or serious side effects noted in the clinical trials for either vaccine.

The first wave of shipments is expected to arrive in North Carolina on June 20. NCDHHS recommends that parents and guardians contact their child’s pediatrician, medical provider, or local health department for more details on when the vaccine may become available. Call ahead to confirm the vaccine will be available before visiting a health care provider.

Children between the ages of 3 and 5 have the option of getting vaccinated at a pharmacy or grocery store in addition to a doctor’s office or local health center. Children under 3 years are not able to be vaccinated by a pharmacist. Parents and guardians of children who do not have an established medical provider can visit MySpot.nc.gov to search for a nearby vaccine provider.

Children may be able to get vaccinated for COVID-19 and other routine shots they are due for at the same visit. This is also a good time for them to get a routine checkup.

Children may experience temporary and minimal side effects. These side effects are similar to adults – a sore arm, headache and being tired or achy for a day or two.

According to the CDC, children under 5 had the highest rate of hospitalizations compared to other pediatric groups. COVID-19 cases in children can result in hospitalization, death, MIS-C (inflammation in different parts of the body) and long-term problems with symptoms that last for months. Vaccines will help reduce infections and transmission, bringing all North Carolinians closer to fewer family disruptions ahead of the summer months and school year.

Everyone ages 6 months and older can receive a free COVID-19 vaccine, even if they don’t have health insurance and regardless of their immigration status.  Parents and guardians with questions about COVID-19 vaccines should talk with their child’s physician.

North Carolina’s actions are based on recommendations from the CDC. Read the CDC’s full statement here.

For more information about how vaccines for children work and where you can find a vaccination appointment nearby, visit MySpot.nc.gov. The North Carolina COVID-19 Vaccine Help Center can also help you make an appointment by calling 888-675-4567. The help center is open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekends.

Las vacunas contra el COVID-19 para los niños de 6 meses hasta 5 años de edad estarán disponibles el 20 de junio

Los niños de 6 meses en adelante ahora pueden recibir una vacuna segura y efectiva contra el COVID-19. Los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) recomiendan que todos los niños que sean elegibles reciban una vacuna contra el COVID-19. La vacuna está disponible en Carolina del Norte siguiendo la autorización de uso de emergencia de la Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos (FDA) y la recomendación de los CDC. 

“Muchas familias han estado esperando ansiosamente una vacuna para proteger a nuestros habitantes más pequeños de Carolina del Norte”, dijo el secretario del NCDHHS, Kody H. Kinsley. “Estas vacunas son la mejor manera de proteger a los niños contra el COVID-19: son seguras, efectivas y gratuitas”.

Los niños de 6 meses hasta 5 años de edad reciben una dosis de la vacuna más baja que cualquier otro grupo de edad. Esta dosis de vacuna es diferente a la vacuna que se autorizó anteriormente para niños de 5 a 11 años. Actualmente, las dosis de refuerzo no están autorizadas para niños en este grupo de edad.

Al igual que con todas las vacunas de rutina para niños, estas vacunas fueron probadas y revisadas por la FDA, los CDC, y sus comités científicos independientes para garantizar que sean seguras para los niños. Los resultados de los ensayos clínicos en curso que comenzaron en marzo de 2021 mostraron que las vacunas contra el COVID-19 de Moderna y de Pfizer eran seguras y efectivas para proteger a los niños de 6 meses hasta 5 años de edad contra el COVID-19. La vacuna de Pfizer está actualmente autorizada para tres dosis, mientras que la vacuna de Moderna se administrará inicialmente con dos dosis. Actualmente, Moderna está probando su tercera dosis, y se esperan resultados de esos estudios para este verano.

No se observaron problemas de seguridad ni efectos secundarios graves en los ensayos clínicos para ninguna de las vacunas.

Se espera que la primera orden de vacunas llegue a Carolina del Norte el 20 de junio. NCDHHS recomienda que las familias se comuniquen con el pediatra o proveedor médico de sus niños, o con el departamento de salud local para obtener más detalles sobre cuándo estará disponible la vacuna. Se motiva que llamen con anticipación para confirmar que la vacuna estará disponible antes de visitar a un proveedor de atención médica.

Los niños entre las edades de 3 y 5 años tienen la opción de vacunarse en una farmacia o un supermercado, además del consultorio de un médico o centro de salud local. Los niños menores de 3 años no pueden ser vacunados por un farmacéutico. Las familias de niños que no tienen un proveedor médico establecido pueden visitar Vacunate.nc.gov para buscar un centro de vacunación cercano.

Es posible que los niños puedan vacunarse contra el COVID-19 y otras vacunas de rutina que deben recibir al mismo tiempo. Este también es un buen momento para que se hagan un chequeo de rutina.

Los niños pueden experimentar efectos secundarios temporales y mínimos. Estos efectos secundarios son similares a los de los adultos: dolor en el brazo, dolor de cabeza y cansancio o dolor durante uno o dos días.

Según los CDC, los niños menores de 5 años tenían la tasa más alta de hospitalizaciones en comparación con otros grupos pediátricos. Los casos de COVID-19 en niños pueden resultar en hospitalización, muerte, MIS-C (que es una condición que causa inflamación en diferentes partes del cuerpo) y problemas a largo plazo con síntomas que duran meses. Las vacunas ayudarán a reducir las infecciones y la transmisión, acercando a todos los habitantes de Carolina del Norte a menos interrupciones familiares antes de los meses de verano y el comienzo del año escolar.

Todas las personas de 6 meses en adelante pueden recibir una vacuna contra el COVID-19 gratuitamente, incluso si no tienen seguro médico e independientemente de su estatus migratorio. Las familias que tengan preguntas sobre las vacunas contra el COVID-19 deben hablar con el médico de sus niños.

Las acciones de Carolina del Norte se basan en recomendaciones de los CDC. Lea la declaración completa de los CDC aquí (en inglés).

Para más información sobre cómo funcionan las vacunas para niños y dónde puede encontrar una cita de vacunación cercana, visite Vacunate.nc.gov. El Centro de Ayuda para la Vacunación contra el COVID-19 de Carolina del Norte también puede ayudarles a programar una cita llamando al 888-675-4567. El Centro de Ayuda está abierto de 7 a. m. a 7 p. m. de lunes a viernes y de 8 a. m. a 4 p. m. en los fines de semana.

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Maria Parham Now Communicates ER Wait Times

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If you had needed to travel to the emergency room of Maria Parham Health on Friday night at 7:30, your estimated wait time would have been in the single digits as evidenced by the screen grab of mariaparham.com you clicked on for this article.

Minutes matter when it comes to saving lives, and those minutes often matter to prospective patients who may need any form of care.  “How long will I have to wait?” You’ve said or thought those words before.

Maria Parham Health not only wants you to know about receiving high quality emergency care 24/7, but the local regional medical center now seeks to better inform about average emergency department (ED) wait times.

On its web site and in an information release sent to WIZS, how the time is calculated and what to expect are spelled out.

How it’s calculated

“When you see a time, such as 14 minutes, displayed on our website or on the billboard, it is important to understand that this is a four-hour rolling average. Each person who enters our Emergency Department is tracked through a computerized system. The person’s registration time in the ED and “greet time”, which is the time when the patient is greeted by a qualified medical professional, are used to calculate the average wait times. The computerized system automatically averages the most recent four-hour time period, which is updated every 15 minutes throughout the day.”

What to expect

“The average wait time is accurate, reliable and regularly updated. However, due to the natural flux in patient volume, it is possible for a person to experience a shorter, or longer, wait time in our Emergency Department than what is displayed on the signage. Furthermore, patients are prioritized based on severity of the complaint or reason for the visit. This is why we use the four-hour rolling average; it minimizes variance by factoring in the natural ebb and flow of emergency departments. At Maria Parham Health, our priority is to deliver quality care close to home for the people in our communities. We hope you find this new information helpful should you find yourself in the middle of a medical emergency.”

(Maria Parham is an advertising client of WIZS. This is not a paid ad.)

240 VCS Seniors Turn Tassels During Recent Graduation Exercises

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Vance County Schools has been in graduation mode for the last couple of weeks and announced Thursday that 240 seniors in four schools have received their high school diplomas.

Graduation exercises began on the morning of May 25, with Vance County High School; Vance County Early College High School graduated later that evening at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center.

Vance Virtual Village (V3) Academy and AdVance Academy graduated on June 10 in the Wayne Adcock Auditorium of the district’s Center for Innovation. Students, staff and guests gathered to celebrate their accomplishments.

At the graduation ceremonies, representatives from the Class of 2022 shared words of encouragement with their fellow classmates:

To the Class of 2022, Karla Cruz Ochoa offered encouragement for the new graduates “to triumph against all the odds and to relentlessly chase your dreams.  Let us never forget that we are the product of Vance County High School. The home of the Vipers!”

Aniya Palmer of Vance County Early College High School shared a similar sentiment with her classmates. “As we go into the next major part of our lives,” Palmer said, “I hope that everyone keeps the same perseverance and dedication to accomplish whatever they desire in life. And one day may we all become Big Chiefs and be an influential person to someone around us.”

And from Vance Virtual Village Academy’s Naadirah Moore: “Face [future] challenges with your head high and heart wide open. You must excel in everything you do, and strive for excellence in every task. It is your job to make the best of everything you have, at every moment you experience.”

Following is a breakdown of some of the accomplishments of the 240 newly minted graduated of Vance County Schools:

  • 18 cum laude Scholars (weighted grade point average of 3.25-3.5),
  • 18 magna cum laude Scholars (weighted grade point average of 3.6-3.9)
  • 16 summa cum laude Scholars (weighted grade point average of 4.0+).
  • 4 North Carolina Scholars, 71 college endorsements and 68 college/UNC endorsements.
  • 31 students with the President’s Award for Educational Excellence
  • 17 students with the President’s Award for Achievement
  • 19 graduates earned North Carolina Career endorsements
  • 22 were early graduates
  • 23 students were recognized in the top 10 percent of the Vance County Schools Class of 2022.
  • 15 students who graduated associate’s degrees in Arts
  • 11 students graduated with associate’s degrees in Science.
  • 3 graduates are members of  Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
  • 4 National Honor Society Scholars
  • 37 Beta Club Scholars

TownTalk: Stop Gun Violence Forum June 30

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Gun violence continues to be a hot topic of discussion in big cities and small towns all across the nation, and Henderson is no exception. The community is invited to participate in a forum on June 30 to hear thoughts and concerns about how to stop gun violence, especially among young people.

Melissa Maloko is a juvenile court counselor based in Henderson and she told John C. Rose Thursday that the forum, sponsored by the Henderson-Vance Recreation & Parks Department’s youth services division, is a follow-up to an April meeting that involved key stakeholders – think law enforcement, school officials and local leaders.

“This is Part 2 because we want to hear what the community has to say about gun violence,” Maloko said during the TownTalk segment. The session will begin at 6 p.m. at the Youth Services Department, located in the gym on the former Eaton-Johnson campus.

There is no single approach to eliminating, or even curbing gun violence, Maloko said. Rather, a collaborative effort from the community, involving faith-based community leaders and others is a step in the right direction.

“We all have to work together,” Maloko said. “There’s not one single solution to address the problem.”

Young people, especially those younger than 18, may find themselves involved in gun violence for any number of reasons, she explained. It could be they feel bullied, or are influenced by older friends or even family members. “Sometimes, they want to do what they see other peers do,” she said, without understanding the seriousness or the repercussions of their actions.

Her work falls under the umbrella of the JCPC – Juvenile Crime Prevention Council – and when she meets with juveniles in the adjudication process, she said tries “to wrap resources around them” in an effort to help them be successful. “We want to work with juveniles from a therapeutic approach – putting the right programs in place.”

“A network of support is very important,” Maloko said. “We work with them now to prevent future involvement (in crime).”

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Kittrell Man Faces Assault Charges In Weekend Incident

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A Kittrell man is in jail facing assault charges following a weekend incident that left one man injured, according to Henderson Police.

On Saturday, June 11, about 4 p.m., Henderson police officers were called to 715 E. Andrews Ave. in response to an assault, according to Capt. C. Ball.

Officers found Brandon Allen, 31, at the scene, suffering from injuries sustained in an assault. Allen was treated and transported by EMS to an area hospital.

After canvassing the area, Quintez Alston, 19, was located on Cherry Street and was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill, felony breaking and entering and property damage.

According to the report, a steel pipe was the alleged weapon in the assault. The suspect followed the victim to his home, kicked in the front door and assaulted the victim. Alston is in the Vance County Detention Center under a $121,000 secured bond.

Author Talk Saturday Morning At Perry Library

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North Carolina author Adrienne Barr will be at the Perry Memorial Library on Saturday, June 18 at 11 a.m. to discuss her new book, Dancing with Butterflies: Discovering Mindfulness Through Breathing.

Library Director Patti McAnally invites the community to come out and hear from the author about her book, which also is the featured book on the library’s Storywalk at Fox Pond Park Trail.

The book tells the story of Leah, who is about to perform in her first recital and is a little anxious. As the story unfolds, Leah learns about deep-breathing exercises. The book, a meditation for beginners primer, encourages readers to manage anxiety with an easy-to-read story. Designed to educate children and parents on the power of breathing techniques to overcome anxiety, this book encourages African-American children to recognize the beauty in body awareness, so they have the confidence to dance their way to their dreams, McAnally said in a press statement.

Henderson Tobacco Warehouse

TownTalk: Juneteenth Is This Sunday

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The second annual Juneteenth celebration at the Henderson Tobacco Warehouse will take place Sunday, June 19 and organizers are planning for a triple play that day to honor churches, fathers and the day when the last enslaved people got news of their freedom in 1865.

Alex Green, vice president and director of operations at Acquest Group, said several area churches and other nonprofit agencies have teamed up for a joint outdoor worship service they’re calling “Worship in the Streets.”

There will be live gospel music, praise dancers and choral performances as well as children’s activities such as a bounce house and face painting for the community to enjoy between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., Green told John C. Rose on Wednesday’s TownTalk.

Acquest Group is developing the tobacco warehouse project, located at 203 Zene St. and Green said she’s excited to bring back the Juneteenth celebration to the area.

“We’ve got a lot of local partners that we’re working with…celebrating Black fatherhood and families,” she said of the Sunday event. ReBuild Communities Inc. will be hosting their annual fashion show as part of the celebration, and the non-profit Manhood is helping with the giveaways and prizes. “Manhood is focused on trying to provide services to young men in the community, especially in the areas of counseling and mental health.

“We’re really excited to showcase them and partner with them,” Green said.

In addition to celebrating families and Black fatherhood, Green said Sunday’s celebration also will include a focus on the church. Among the churches partnering for the event are A Place of Deliverance, Holy Temple Church, Greater Zion United Church and Kesler Temple AME Zion Church.

Green also said the work of the Flint Hill Kittrell Vance Community Development Corp. has been instrumental in the work at the Zene Street project, which is designed for mixed-use retail and office space.

“We still have a lot of work to do,” Green said, “but we’re really close to starting construction soon.”

Acquest Group, a commercial and residential development company, set its sights on Henderson in 2014 with plans to transform the former tobacco warehouse at 203 Zene St. into a hub of community activity.

“We see so much potential… and so many good people trying to work for the community and dedicating their lives to the betterment of this community,”

Green added.

“It’s always community first. It’s always people first,” she said.

 

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