Otselic Valley Central School District

We've been asked to post the following message from the Chenango County Health Department. Please note that we do not yet have opportunities at Otselic Valley for student vaccination, but we'll share more information as other options become available.*******November 2021Dear Chenango County Parents:Vaccinations can help protect you and your child from getting COVID-19Getting your child vaccinated helps to protect your child, your entire family, and our community. The C D C recommends everyone 5 years and older to get a COVID-19 vaccination to help protect against COVID-19. Widespread vaccination is a critical tool to help stop the pandemic. Children 5 years and older should get the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as soon as the C D C approves it.Although fewer children have been infected with COVID-19 compared to adults, children can still:--Be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19--Get sick from COVID-19--Spread COVID-19 to othersSome parents want to be able to talk to their pediatrician and get their children vaccinated where they go for their other medical care. If you are a parent, ask your pediatrician if they will be giving the COVID-19 vaccine to children and talk to them about any concerns that you have. Be sure to get the facts from a trusted source such as your doctor and make your appointment as soon as they become available. We must fight back against dangerous misinformation and listen to the experts.Chenango County Public Health is offering to come to your local school district. Vaccinating everyone, including children 5 and older, is the key to overcoming this pandemic. We want to empower parents to do the right thing and make a choice to vaccinate their children now. We expect the C D C to provide official guidance soon.COVID-19 vaccines have been used under the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history, including studies in young children 5 and up. Your child cannot get COVID-19 from any COVID-19 vaccine. Like adults, children may have some side effects after COVID-19 vaccination. While COVID-19 vaccines were developed rapidly, all steps were take to make sure they are safe and effective. Scientists have been working for many years to develop vaccines against viruses like the one that causes COVID-19. This knowledge helped speed up the initial development of the current COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccines in the United States must go through three phases of clinical trials to make sure they are safe and effective. During the development of COVID-19 vaccines, phases overlapped to speed up the process, but all phases were completed.--Chenango County Health Department (607-337-1660)