Pa. officials stress safety, necessity of COVID jab for youngest kids | Friday Morning Coffee

Good Friday Morning, Fellow Seekers.

With a health clinic in Harrisburg as a backdrop, two of the commonwealth’s top public officials stressed the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccinations for the youngest Pennsylvanians.

“It is reassuring to know that we have a safe and effective way to protect our children from COVID-19-related illness,” acting state Health Secretary Dr. Denise Johnson said during Wednesday’s event at the Dauphin County State Health Center in Harrisburg’s Kline Village neighborhood.

“Even if your child has already had COVID-19, they should still get vaccinated,” Johnson, who’s also the state’s physician general, continued. “Emerging evidence indicates that people can get added protection by getting vaccinated after they have been infected with the virus.”

State health officials announced last month that providers were ready to start giving the COVID-19 jab to kids as young as six months old after getting the green light from the federal government.

The actions by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention allowed providers to offer the three-dose Pfizer vaccine for children under five years old, and a two-dose Moderna vaccine for children under six years old. Both vaccines are approved for children as young as six months old, state officials said in a Thursday statement.

Acting Secretary of Health and Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson speaks during Wednesday’s press Conference. Dr. Johnson and Acting Secretary of Human Services Meg Snead encourage Pennsylvanians to vaccinate their children during a visit to the Dauphin County State Health Center (Commonwealth of Pa. photo).

“As a parent, you want to do everything you can to protect your kids and keep them safe. By vaccinating my kids, I am sending them off to school this fall knowing that they are as protected as possible from this virus,” acting state Department of Human Services Secretary Meg Snead said. “I encourage all parents to talk to a trusted healthcare provider and get their kids vaccinated so they are ready and protected heading into the school year.”

In their joint statement, the two agencies noted that pharmacists only are allowed to vaccinate children aged three years old and older. Parents seeking the jab for kids under age three should contact their pediatrician, family physician, or another qualified physician. Parents also can visit vaccines.gov to find the vaccine provider that’s nearest to them, officials said.

The three-dose Pfizer vaccine is available for children under five and as young as six months. Kids who get the Pfizer shot should receive the second dose three weeks after the first, and the third shot eight weeks after the second shot, officials said.

The two-dose Moderna vaccine is available for children ages six months through five years old, and the second shot should be administered 28 days after the first dose, officials said.

“It is critical for parents to make sure their children receive the complete series of shots for the vaccine to be as effective as possible,” Johnson said. “The CDC says for the vaccine to reach its efficacy, children need to receive the recommended three doses of the Pfizer vaccine and two doses of the Moderna vaccine.”

Pennsylvania Senate Chambers. Source: WikiMedia Commons

Our Stuff.Our partners at City & State preview the five, must-watch fights for the state Senate. Who says FetterOz gets to have all the fun?

Pennsylvania’s commitment of $220 million to a new fund dedicated to reducing pollution flowing into state waterways could prove “a remarkable turning point” in Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts, Sarah Vogelsong, of our sibling site, the Virginia Mercury, reports.

Republicans, hoping to flip control of Congress in the November elections, appear to have decided against campaigning on a unified abortion platform that would specify exactly what conservatives plan to do if given control of the U.S. House and Senate. Capital-Star Washington Reporter Jennifer Shutt has the story.

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1st District, was one of eight Republicans to vote with House Democrats to send the Senate legislation that would guarantee people the right to use contraception without government interference, Jennifer Shutt also reports.

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee has passed legislation banning certain semi-automatic weapons, in a renewed push to ban the guns most commonly used in recent mass shootings, Capital-Star Washington Reporter Ariana Figueroa writes.

President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, the White House announced, scuttling a planned trip to Pennsylvania. NEPA Correspondent Patrick Abdalla, along with Washington Reporters Jennifer Shutt and Ariana Figueroa, has the story.

En la Estrella-Capital: La administración de Wolf celebra el lanzamiento de la línea de ayuda 988, dice que hay más trabajo por hacer. Y el Presidente Joe Biden presenta nuevos fondos para localidades sobre el clima, pero aún no hay emergencia nacional.

On our Commentary Page this morning: The U.S. child welfare system is falling short because of persistent child poverty, two Boston University scholars write. And the Webb telescope’s images remind us of who we really are, Quentin Young, of our sibling site, Colorado Newsline, writes.

Philadelphia skyline from South Street Bridge (DOUGH 4872, BRIAN W. SCHALLER VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/City & State Pa).

Elsewhere.From the Inquirer: Philly pols weigh in on the ‘Sixers’ proposal to build a new arena in Center City.

Already one of the nation’s most expensive public universities, Penn State will raise tuition and fees for the coming school year, the Post-Gazette reports.

PennLive has what you need to know as PrideFest returns to Harrisburg.

Republicans have filed a new legal action seeking to throw out Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting law, the Associated Press reports (via the York Daily Record). And voting rights advocates tell WHYY-FM that the new  legal challenge is fueling the Big Lie.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mehmet Oz barnstormed in Allentown on Thursday, where he talked about inflation, the Morning Call reports.

In Pittsburgh, local Democrats denounced GOP gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano’s ties to a right-wing social media site, WESA-FM reports. PoliticsPa examines some of the fact-free claims Mastriano made during an interview with one site.

President Joe Biden called Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown after a COVID-19 diagnosis prompted him to cancel a visit to the city, the Citizens’ Voice reports.

GoErie takes a look at what’s next for passenger rail service in the region.

City & State Pa. runs down this week’s winners and losers in state politics.

Here’s your #Valley Forge Instagram of the Day:

What Goes On11 a.m., Capitol Media Center: Pa. Revenue Department officials discuss how businesses can protect themselves from scammers looking to steal their financial information.

WolfWatchGov. Tom Wolf has no public schedule today.

You Say It’s Your Birthday Dept.Best wishes go out to Brandon Flood, of The Lazarus Firm and Adam Brashear, of PennLive, both of whom celebrate today. Advance best wishes go out to the Inquirer’s Anna Orso, and old pal, Jack Scanlon, of Lancaster, both of whom celebrate on Saturday. Congratulations all the way around, friends,

Heavy RotationEvery once in a while, you just need music from English indie guitar bands. And the exemplar of the species has to be the C86 movement. So here’s a whole playlist to get your Friday rolling.

Friday’s Gratuitous Soccer LinkZlatan Ibrahimovic has signed on for another year with AC Milan, despite facing an uphill road to recovery from knee surgery, the Guardian reports.

And now you’re up to date.