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Avera expands COVID-19 vaccine availability in Marshall

Vaccine appointments now available for ages 12 to 15

MARSHALL — Opportunities to received a COVID-19 vaccine are now available for people as young as 12, Avera Marshall Medical Center announced Monday.

Avera Marshall is now scheduling vaccinations for anyone age 12 and older.

“Avera is strongly encouraging everyone in eligible age groups to participate in vaccination,” said Dr. David Basel, vice president for Avera Medical Group Quality and a specialist in pediatrics and internal medicine.

The COVID vaccine produced by Pfizer, which Avera Marshall offers, has received emergency use authorization for people ages 12 to 15. The Pfizer vaccine was previously approved for people ages 16 and older, while the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved for people age 18 and older.

Basel said there are several reasons why it’s important for younger people to be vaccinated against COVID-19, even if they aren’t at high risk for severe illness from the virus.

“It’s true that this age group is at low risk for hospitalization or death, but it has happened. The risk is not zero,” Basel said. Long-term COVID syndromes also have been reported among teens and adolescents, he said. “These kids are not getting back to their peak athletic performance quickly. COVID takes so much out of them and they are tired all the time.”

Basel said vaccination among young people is also important for the community as a whole.

“There’s no doubt that higher rates of COVID infections are happening in the 15 to 25 age range. That’s where the virus is circulating right now. Until we can get teens and young adults vaccinated and get the virus out of circulation, we’ll never reach herd immunity where we can go back to a semblance of normalcy,” Basel said.

Basel said vaccination for this age group is safe and effective.

“From a safety standpoint, this vaccine has been given to literally millions of people. It’s probably the most highly studied vaccine ever,” he said. “There’s also good study data in the 12 to 15 age group. The side effects are showing to be very similar to those in adults.”

Basel said side effects are generally mild and include soreness at the injection site, achiness and possibly headache.

“The vaccine stimulates the immune system, and so symptoms are the signs that your immune system has been activated,” Basel said. Side effects typically disappear after about 12 hours and respond well to over-the-counter ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

The Pfizer vaccine has two doses, spaced three weeks apart. Basel said it’s important to get both shots for full immunity over a longer period of time.

“Especially with the variants we’re seeing, people need that higher level of protection,” Basel said.

COVID-19 vaccines and other vaccines can now be administered without regard to timing, Avera Marshall said. People can get the COVID vaccine and other vaccinations, including back-to-school immunizations, on the same day, and they don’t have to wait 14 days between vaccinations.

Fears that COVID vaccines can impact future fertility or have long-term effects on DNA are groundless, Basel said.

“This concern has been looked into a great deal. It’s just totally made up,” Basel said. There are no similarities between proteins in vaccines and placental proteins. Similarly, vaccines do not interact with DNA or change a person’s genes, he said.

“The vaccine breaks down in your body in a matter of minutes to hours and then it is gone. It doesn’t have the ability to have a long-term effect — other than COVID immunity. Plus, it’s impossible to get COVID-19 from the vaccine. It’s a safe vaccine — for adults and children,” Basel said.

To schedule a vaccine appointment at Avera Marshall, call 507-532-9661.

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