The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall on March 10 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. to discuss COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 and older.
Key topics include:
- COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness for children ages 5 and older
- Ways parents can support their child’s mental health
- Current recommendations for women who are pregnant or may become pregnant
- What to know about vaccines for kids under 5 and when they might be available
Participants include Charlene Wong, MD, Assistant Secretary for Children and Families at NCDHHS; Nicole Allen, DO, family medicine physician at the Bakersville Community Health Center, which is part of the Mountain Community Health Partnership; and NaShonda Bender-Cooke, NBCT, MEd, Wake County high school teacher and Vice Chair of Governor Roy Cooper’s Teacher Advisory Committee. All three participants will also share their thoughts on vaccination as parents themselves.
The fireside chat will stream live from the NCDHHS social media accounts, where viewers can submit questions. The event includes a tele-town hall, which invites people by phone to listen in and submit questions to help ensure everyone who is interested can participate. People can dial into the event by calling (855) 756-7520, Ext. 79570#.
Children are vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus just like everyone else. The vaccine provides a safe, tested way to keep them healthy, yet the majority of children who are eligible for a vaccine haven’t received their first dose.
To date, only 26% of children ages 5-11 and 48% of adolescents ages 12-17 in North Carolina have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. In comparison, 76% of North Carolinians ages 18 and older have received at least one dose. Vaccination numbers for both children and teens are below vaccination rates for any other age group in the state.
NCDHHS fireside chats and tele-town halls are part of the state’s ongoing public engagement to slow the spread of COVID-19 and ensure equitable access to timely information, resources and COVID-19 vaccines.
The NCDHHS social media platforms will host the livestream: Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Visit the channel of your choice to watch the event, which will begin streaming at 6 p.m.
ASL Interpreters and Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART) captioning will be provided for the town hall. Please press on the following link at the time of the event to view (CART) captioning on a separate device.