Nicklaus Children’s Hospital offers COVID-19 vaccines for teens and young adults

COUNTY MIAMI-DADE, Fla. – Floridians ages 16-21 with medical conditions that make them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 can apply starting next week to receive vaccines at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, the Miami-Dade facility announced Friday.

Doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be available to people of that age who are “currently in the care of physicians or specialists for medical conditions identified by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as being at increased risk of serious related illnesses. with COVID-19., ”Nicklaus said in a press release.

Appointment requests can be submitted to Nicklauschildrens.org/Covid19Vaccine starting Monday, March 8.

Candidates must provide the Florida COVID-19 Determination of Extreme Vulnerability form completed by their physician.

Advertisement

The hospital says it has already vaccinated 500 eligible patients “through assistance to other regional hospitals and health systems, pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists in Florida, resulting in hundreds of referrals for vaccine appointments.”

Dr. Marcos Mestre, Nicklaus’ Chief Medical Officer, says that of the 700+ doses they’ve given to those patients, “we haven’t seen any complications.”

The expansion to allow online registrations from the public comes after the hospital recently received an additional allocation of the Pfizer recordings.

“While most children are only mildly affected by COVID-19, people with complex conditions may be at risk for serious illness if they contract the virus,” said Matthew A. Love, president and CEO of Nicklaus Children’s Health System in a statement . “We are honored to be able to offer the vaccine to support the care of vulnerable children in Florida.”

Conditions that increase the risk, as identified by the CDC, include asthma (moderate to severe), cancer, cerebrovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, cystic fibrosis, diabetes (type 1 or 2), Down’s syndrome, heart disease, hypertension, immunocompromised disorders, liver disease, neurological disorders, obesity, pulmonary fibrosis, sickle cell disease or thalassemia.

Advertisement

Diego Diaz, 18, has cystic fibrosis and received his second dose through Nicklaus earlier this week.

“More than grateful,” he said. “I hope other hospitals will notice this and start doing the same, because I really think we should prioritize not only a particular age group, but also a demographic that is most at risk.”

Diaz added, “It’s always a concern that there might be someone next to you who has it, maybe someone you pass might have COVID, so it’s always scary going out.”

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is approved for use by individuals 16 years of age and older. (Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved for 18+.)

There is limited data on how the vaccine affects the pediatric population, but Mestre said studies are underway for patients 12-16 years old and “hopefully we will have a vaccine available for them too by the end of the year.”

Pfizer and Moderna expect to initiate studies in children 11 and under later this year as researchers continue to investigate whether the injections are safe for younger patients.

Advertisement

Click here for more information about Nicklaus’s vaccine program.

ALSO SEE: Which adults are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines in Florida