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North Carolina prepared to rollout vaccines for children under five

Shots of COVID-19 vaccines for elementary-age children are arrayed at Children's National Hospital in Washington. North Carolina officials say the state is well-prepared to administer vaccines for children under five, the last age group to have not yet received vaccines. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for children under the age of five, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has given states the go-ahead for administration. 

Officials with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services say they're well-prepared for equitable distribution of the children's vaccine in all 100 counties.

Shots are available at local health departments and are also offered in pediatric offices, family clinics, and pharmacies.

NCDHHS officials say they've prepared a communications campaign for the rollout that includes bilingual town halls, digital, broadcast, and social media messages, and partnerships with community-based organizations to reach historically marginalized communities.

Dr. Susan Kansagra with the NCDHHS Division Director for Public Health says both vaccines are equally safe and effective for the age group, with benefits far outweighing the risks.

"I'd really encourage families to talk to their provider. Both vaccines are great," says Kansagra. "I'd really encourage them to get the vaccine that's available to them at their provider's office. Both of these vaccines are available across North Carolina. We have over 300 providers that are ready to go."

Kansagra notes that the FDA has authorized the two-dose Moderna vaccine for children under the age of five, while a three-dose series of the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for children ages six-months through four-years old.

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

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