News

May 25, 2023

Webinar: Navigating Conversations with Families about Childhood Vaccines

The topic of childhood vaccines is on parents’ minds more than ever but also has become more sensitive for educators to discuss with families than many other concerns.

Penn State Extension Better Kid Care will host a webinar for teachers and caregivers of young children about how to discuss childhood vaccines with families on Wednesday, May 31 at 1 p.m.

The webinar will dive into why these conversations are uncomfortable at times and how professionals can approach them in ways that stay true to fact-based information while also preserving their relationships with families.

Register

Certificates will not be issued for attending the webinar. Attendees will receive a confirmation email as proof of their participation. They must attend from their own device in order to receive the confirmation email.

News

March 6, 2023

Community Strategies for Vaccine Equity for Young Children

Penn State Extension Better Kid Care and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) invite child care program directors, educators, and caregivers to this informative panel discussion on effective strategies for advancing vaccine equity for young children in early childhood programs.

At this event, Dr. Timothy Shope, M.D., MPH. will join Anna Rutins, project manager at CDC Partners for Vaccine Equity, Presbyterian Community Health, Presbyterian Healthcare Systems, to share examples of community strategies to support the vaccination of young children.

Session Details

Wednesday, March 22 | 1 – 2 p.m.

Virtual

Register

Learn More

To learn more, visit the Penn State Extension Better Kid Care website.

News

December 15, 2021

Upcoming PPS COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics

UPMC is partnering with Pittsburgh Public Schools to hold vaccine clinics this upcoming, Saturday, December 18 for PPS students, families, staff and the school community, ages 5+. The second dose clinic will be held on January 8, 2022. Students under the age of 18 must be accompanied by their parent or guardian. Interested families may register online.

Vaccine Availability

  • Ages 5 -11: First & second dose pediatric Pfizer
  • Ages 12-15: First & second dose Pfizer
  • Ages 16 – 17: First, second & booster dose Pfizer
  • Ages 18+: First, second & booster dose Pfizer, Moderna or J&J

Please note: Boosters are available for individuals 16+, at least six months from their second dose (Pfizer/Moderna) or two months from their first dose (J&J). Individuals aged 16-17 are only eligible for a Pfizer booster and individuals 18+ will have their choice of Moderna, Pfizer or J&J for their booster.

Locations and Times

  • Pittsburgh Langley, Cafeteria (2940 Sheraden Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15204): 9:00-11:00am
  • Pittsburgh Lincoln, Cafeteria (328 Lincoln Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206): 9:00-11:00am
  • Pittsburgh Morrow, Gym (3530 Fleming Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212): 1:00-3:00pm
  • Pittsburgh Weil, Cafeteria (2250 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15219): 1:00-3:00pm
  • UPMC South Side (2000 Mary St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203): 10:00-2:00pm

News

December 8, 2021

Webinar – COVID-19 Vaccines for School-Aged Children: What Parents and Families Should Know

Join NAFSCE and the U.S. Department of Education on December 9 at 8:00pm, ET for an informational webinar following the official approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech age 5-11 vaccine. Registration for this virtual event is available online.

During the webinar, panelists including United States Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten, along with representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics, will join NAFSCE Executive Director, Vito Borrello for a series of presentations and constructive conversation to support parents and families as they consider the COVID-19 vaccine for their child(ren). Parents and caregivers can learn more about the following questions:

  • How was the vaccine developed?
  • How many children participated in the study for approval?
  • Will my child(ren) be safe taking the vaccine?
  • What are the side effects?
  • Should my child(ren) get the vaccine?
  • Where can I take my child to get the vaccine?

Parents are invited to submit questions about the vaccine on the registration form. Pre-submitted questions will help plan the content of the session. Time will also be reserved for live questions and answers at the end of the event.

News

Webinar – What Early Care and Education Staff Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines for Children 5-11

Join ACF Office of Early Childhood Development and pediatric experts to learn more about COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11. This webinar will provide information about this new way to protect children from serious illness due to COVID-19. Explore strategies to address parental concerns about vaccine safety and how programs can support families to make informed decisions about choosing to vaccinate their children.

Registration for this virtual event is available online.

News

November 10, 2021

FDA Authorizes COVID-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use for Children Five to 11

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 to include children five through 11 years of age. The authorization was based on the FDA’s thorough and transparent evaluation of the data that included input from independent advisory committee experts who overwhelmingly voted in favor of making the vaccine available to children in this age group.

About the COVID-19 Vaccine

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for children five through 11 years of age is administered as a two-dose primary series, three weeks apart, but is a lower dose (10 micrograms) than that used for individuals 12 years of age and older (30 micrograms).

In the U.S., COVID-19 cases in children five through 11 years of age make up 39% of cases in individuals younger than 18 years of age. According to the CDC, approximately 8,300 COVID-19 cases in children five through 11 years of age resulted in hospitalization. As of Oct. 17, 691 deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in the U.S. in individuals less than 18 years of age, with 146 deaths in the five through 11 years age group.

Pfizer Inc. has updated its safety monitoring plan to include evaluation of myocarditis, pericarditis and other events of interest in children five through 11 years of age. In addition, the FDA and the CDC have several systems in place to continually monitor COVID-19 vaccine safety and allow for the rapid detection and investigation of potential safety problems.

Additional Information

Additional information on the COVID-19 vaccine can be found on the FDA website.

News

September 29, 2021

Who Is Eligible for a COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shot?

According to the CDC, data from a small clinical trial show that a Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot increased the immune response in trial participants who finished their primary series 6 months earlier. With an increased immune response, people should have improved protection against COVID-19, including the Delta variant.

Eligibility

COVID-19 Vaccine booster shots are available for the following Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine recipients who completed their initial series at least 6 months ago:

Schedule an Appointment

Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you. Additionally, you may:

  • Check your local pharmacy’s website to see if vaccination walk-ins or appointments are available.
  • Contact your state or local health department for more information.

Additional Information

For additional information related to COVID-19, visit the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website.

News

September 22, 2021

Ask a Health Care Provider

Join the Pittsburgh Learning Collaborative and the Pittsburgh Community Vaccine Collaborative for an evening with medical professionals to discuss back-to-school questions surrounding COVID-19 safety, mitigation, and vaccines.

More Information

The presentation will be multilingual in Spanish, French, Russian, Swahili, Arabic, and English. If you need a different language/interpreter please email Dr. Kait Brennan at kaitlynbrennan88@gmail.com who can assist with accommodations.

To register for this virtual event, please complete the online registration form.

News

March 12, 2021

COVID-19 Vaccine for Relative-Neighbor Child Care Providers

Relative-neighbor child care providers are eligible to sign up to receive the COVID-19 vaccine under the Pennsylvania Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 Vaccine special initiative, in which child care program workers will be among the first individuals in the state eligible to receive the one-dose vaccine.

About

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is asking all relative-neighbor child care providers who would like to receive the J&J vaccine to register to receive the vaccine by submitting a registration request form no later than March 26, 2021.

NOTE: Completion of the form does not guarantee a vaccine.

This form will collect contact information for scheduling purposes. By providing this information, providers acknowledge it may be shared with the Department of Health, Department of Human Services and their partners including retail pharmacy staff for the purpose of scheduling vaccine appointments.

The J&J vaccine must not be administered to individuals who have received full or partial Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. It is recommended individuals consult their physician prior to receiving any vaccination.

Vaccines for Pregnant Women

In the coming weeks, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital will be holding special vaccination clinics for pregnant women only. Appointments are required.

You must be 18 years old or older to receive a vaccine. You do not need to be a UMPC patient to qualify. To schedule an appointment at one of UPMC Magee’s clinics for pregnant women, call 833.653.0519. COVID-19 vaccination is provided at no cost to the patient.

More Information

News

December 17, 2020

COVID-19 Interim Vaccination Plan for Pennsylvania

On December 11, 2020, the Pennsylvania COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force and Pennsylvania Department of Health released a COVID-19 Interim Vaccination Plan for Pennsylvania (PDF). The goal of the interim COVID-19 vaccination plan is to provide a transparent strategy to vaccinate all Pennsylvanians who want to be vaccinated so that Pennsylvanians can return to everyday activities as quickly and safely as possible.

At this time, early childhood education professionals including teachers, school staff working directly with students, child care employees, and early intervention staff fall under the 1B category (page 14), defined as essential business personnel who cannot work remotely or maintain social distancing.

A variety of factors influence the distribution of vaccinations, including vaccine supply levels, number of critical personnel requiring the vaccine, and vaccine storage requirements. The vaccine supply is projected to increase quickly over the proceeding months, allowing vaccination efforts to be expanded to additional critical populations and the general public. It is important to note that recommendations on the various population groups to receive initial doses of the vaccine could change after the vaccine is available, depending on each vaccine’s characteristics, vaccine supply, disease epidemiology, and local community factors. The Pennsylvania Department of Health will follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) ACIP recommendations in identifying populations of focus.

More Resources for COVID-19

To best support these community members and the young children in their lives, Trying Together has created two resource lists, featuring helpful resources that families and educators can use to maneuver this difficult time.

For more information about COVID-19, visit the Allegheny County Health DepartmentWorld Health Organization (WHO), or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites.