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Cedars-Sinai Hosts Virtual Open House With Physicians and Community Members About Protecting Children 5-11 From COVID-19
Cedars-Sinai is gathering pediatricians, parents and community members to address important questions about vaccinating children 5-11 years old against COVID-19. The free virtual event, “The Open House: FAQs on COVID-19 Vaccines for Ages 5-11,” will take place from 5-6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15, on Zoom. The conversation will be recorded and available for viewing by clicking here. To watch the conversation in Spanish, click here.
Panelists Arthur Cho, MD, director of the Division of General Pediatrics and medical director of COACH for Kids; pediatric infectious disease specialist Priya Soni, MD, assistant professor of Pediatrics; and pediatrician Kyle Monk, MD, will address frequently asked questions about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine for younger children. The conversation will be moderated by Premere Session, associate director of Healthy Habits.
“Over the last century, vaccines have had the single biggest impact on the wellbeing of children and adults alike,” said Soni. “The COVID-19 vaccine is no exception to this and will protect children against hospitalization and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a post-infectious complication of the virus, seen most often in this 5- to 11-year-old age group.”
Cho, father of three young children, said he understands that families might have concerns about the relatively new vaccine. “The great news is that the COVID-19 vaccine has already been given to millions of U.S. children ages 5 to 11 and continues to be shown as safe and effective,” he said.
Monk said the event gives parents the chance to hear directly from physicians who specialize in caring for children.
“I think it is important to hear from trusted professionals about the latest research and recommendations,” Monk said. “We can have an open and honest conversation to address concerns and debunk rumors and myths.”
Panelists will answer questions from event attendees if time allows, and the event will be simultaneously livestreamed on BlackDoctor.org and the Cedars-Sinai Facebook channel. A Spanish translation is available to those who register through the Zoom link to join the event. The Zoom link is https://ceda.rs/theopenhouse
The event is part of Community Conversations, a virtual series where Cedars-Sinai clinicians and staff address health topics that affect the local community.
Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Why Some Vaccines Last a Lifetime and Others Don’t