SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Natomas Unified School District has held vaccination clinics for the entire community since February. Saturday it’s adding 12 to 15-year-olds to the group of those eligible.
“We have been equipped and prepared to move and change and be flexible amid all the changes,” Director of Communications Deidra Powell said.
The district follows the state closely and when it got word this age group could be added to the mix it wanted to get plans in place.
“This is about giving parents an option. We know that the vaccine is designed to make our environment more healthy and we want to be able to provide that to more and more of our families,” Powell said.
Parents can register their children through the district’s website. They must accompany them to the appointment and bring along documentation proving their child’s age.
“Some parents might want to wait and see and that’s okay too. We plan to continue doing this for as long as we can. So, if not this week, next week and the week after until we’re able to offer it.”
Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. William Schaffner said the side effects from both doses in teens are about the same as what a young adult would experience.
“I don’t think that that’s a big deal. About 10% of teenagers have enough side effects so that they’re not feeling exactly wonderful the day after, but that goes away very quickly in a day or two,” he said. “I think the side effects ought not to be a barrier for anyone getting this vaccine including those 12 to 15-year-old’s.”
Schaffner said side effects that happen 5 to 20 years later simply do not exist.
“Some people are concerned about so-called long-term side effects that has all of us who know about vaccines puzzled. If there’s going to be a side effect, we know about it within two at the most 3 months.”
Dr. Mark Ghaly from CDPH said the state hopes to soon vaccinate the young teens that have had to shoulder a significant burden during the pandemic.
