Presbyterian | Your Story | Centennial Care | Summer 2021

www.phs.org/centennialcare 3 Catch up on care Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, many people put off in-person care visits to help slow the spread of the virus. For you and your family, that may have meant pausing some preventive care. But now it’s time to catch up on what you may have missed. A good way to stay healthy Preventive care means screening tests, shots, and wellness checkups that help you stay healthy, like: ● Mammograms and Pap tests for women ● Screenings for heart disease and cancer ● Childhood shots and well-child visits ● Flu and pneumonia shots ● Routine checkups where you can get advice about diet, exercise, and safety It’s safe to visit your provider again— and doing so helps keep you and your family healthy. Make an appointment to catch up on the care you missed by calling your provider today! Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians; www.HealthCare.gov When will all kids be able to get a COVID-19 vaccine? Right now, many children can get the COVID-19 vaccine (shot) in New Mexico, depending on their age. When vaccines will be available to all children depends on the results of ongoing clinical trials. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says many kids may be able to get the vaccine by the start of the upcoming school year. Stay up-to-date with the latest recommendations at www.phs.org/vaccine . How vaccines are tested in kids Vaccines are usually tested in adults first. If they’re shown to be safe for adults, then they can be tested in kids in gradually younger age groups. In some cases, children’s vaccines may be tested at lower doses than for adults. Children seven and older must agree to be in a clinical trial. Like adult trials, children’s trials are broken into three phases: ● The first phase tests the vaccine in about 20 to 100 volunteers. ● If all goes well in the first phase, phase two then tests several hundred volunteers. ● Then phase three tests the vaccine in hundreds or thousands of volunteers. Even if the timeline is shorter, a vaccine must pass all three stages. It will get the OK only if it’s shown to be safe and effective for kids. Will schools require COVID-19 vaccinations? The AAP and others can make recommendations. But whether kids will need to be vaccinated to enroll in school will be up to each state’s government. For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine for your child, ask their provider or follow the latest news from the New Mexico Department of Health at cv.nmhealth.org . While you wait, still vaccinate! Although your child may still be waiting for their COVID-19 vaccine, you should not put off other important shots. Shots are the best way to help protect your child from serious diseases that can spread, like measles, whooping cough, and the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says children should get many of their shots by age two. Despite that, it seems that fewer kids have been getting their shots during the coronavirus crisis. Schedule your child’s shots now! Providers’ offices are taking steps to keep their patients safe during checkups and vaccine visits. If you think you may have fallen behind on your child’s shots, talk to their primary care provider. They can fill you in on vaccine recommendations for your child. You can also call the New Mexico vaccination hotline at 1-833-882-6454 or visit www.vaxviewnm.org to look up a vaccination history for yourself or your child. For a full list of shots your kids need, visit www.cdc.gov/ vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/ child-adolescent.html .