Subscribe to the podcast HERE if you have an iPhone – or check out this link if you want to listen on an Android or other device!
Disclaimer: This podcast does not provide medical advice. The information on this podcast is for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Episode 52. Rapid Fire Q&A on the COVID Vaccine for Children Under 5 with Dr. Arunima Agarwal
In today’s episode, we are joined by Dr. Arunima Agarwal. Dr. Agarwal and I will go through a rapid fire Q&A with regards to the COVID vaccine for children under five. I know that so many parents were looking forward to February coming along and hopefully having this vaccine approved for kids under five, myself included. Unfortunately, that did not get approved this month. So in this conversation, we are looking at why this vaccine hasn’t been approved, when we can expect it to be, where to find research-backed information to guide your decision, and more.
Originally from Toronto, Canada, New York based pediatrician, Dr. Arunima Agarwal has a passion for helping and taking care of kids and their families from diverse backgrounds. Her interest in academics and auto-immune diseases started early in her residency training, which prompted her to pursue fellowship to further her knowledge,– from working at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles to Grenada, where she was part of the American Medical Students Association who traveled to isolated islands to provide routine screening for vision, diabetes and other chronic illnesses.
She immediately saw a need for vaccine, nutrition and chronic illness education, which led to her to participate in televised educational content for NBC and ABC LA regarding the flu vaccine and the importance of limiting unhealthy sugars. Now that she has relocated back to the east coast she hopes to continue educating and taking care of at-risk youth in the Bronx school system.
Dr. Agarwal also educates patients regarding COVID testing and recommendations as part of Same Day Health, a telemedicine platform created to help patients during this global pandemic. She is a Board Certified Pediatrician with the American Board of Pediatrics and has an undergraduate degree in Biology with Honors at the University of Western Ontario. She studied at St. George’s University in Grenada for medical school and completed her clinical rotations in Brooklyn, NY.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why the COVID vaccine for children under five hasn’t been approved
- The process of getting a vaccine tested and approved
- When this vaccine might be available for ages five and under
- What kinds of side effects are being seen in vaccinated children over five
- How long you should wait to vaccinated your child if they’ve recently had COVID
- Why you should vaccinate younger children, even if they aren’t at a high risk of severe health issues
Resources:
- The CDC website
- The American Academy of Pediatrics
- The World Health Organization
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Episode 41, COVID Vaccine + Kids: A Rapid Fire Q&A with Dr. Krupa Playforth
- Episode 34, Update on MIS-C and COVID in Children with Dr. Anita Patel
- Episode 5, Rapid Fire Q&A on COVID Vaccines with Infectious Disease Epidemiologist, Jessica Malaty Rivera
- Episode 3. Dr. Anita Patel on Understanding MIS-C and How We Can Detect it in Our Children
Connect with Dr. Agarwal:
Connect with Lynzy:
- Join the Motherhood Meets Medicine community at patreon.com/motherhoodmeetsmedicine
- Instagram: @motherhoodmeetsmedicine
- Sign up for the weekly newsletter here
Questions Asked In The Episode:
- What is the latest on the COVID vaccine and why wasn’t it approved?
- When do you anticipate that this vaccine might be available for this age group?
- If the issue is that the two doses of the vaccine won’t be enough for the little ones, since the amount is lower, the dosage is lower – could they approve the two doses now to at least provide some protection while waiting for the results of the efficacy of the third dose?
- If you want to wait a little while after the vaccine for five and under comes out, how long should you wait to see any rare side effects?
- What if my three year old daughter just had COVID? Should I wait to get the vaccine once it’s approved?
- The five and under age group is such a low risk for severe health risk. Why bother giving them the vaccine at all?
- Is this vaccine recommended if a child is going through chemo treatment?
- Where should parents look for evidence to help guide their decision making?
- What do we do if the third dose doesn’t work?
