Doctors urge Arizona parents to vaccinate kids as COVID-19 surges again, fills hospitals ahead of holidays

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Arizona physicians and health care professionals today urged parents to get their kids vaccinated against COVID-19 to help slow down the spread of the disease, which is once again crowding hospitals across the state and straining health care workers and resources. The doctors said vaccinating children now can help them be nearly fully immunized by Christmas, while making in-person learning safer.

“As physicians, we see firsthand how the spread of COVID-19 is once again pushing hospitals and medical workers to the breaking point,” said Dr. Ricardo Correa, an endocrinologist in Phoenix. “COVID-19 is a preventable disease that has been allowed to spread, unchecked, because our political leaders in the state refuse to implement safety measures such as widespread masks and vaccinations. For science-denying politicians, their rejection of vaccines and masks may play well with their base, but as physicians, we can say without a doubt, they are putting people in danger. Getting as many people vaccinated now, including children, is the best way out of this pandemic, and the longer we delay, the more we prolong the pain and suffering too many of our fellow Arizonans have endured for nearly two years.”

The physicians made the plea as Arizona hospitals rapidly run out of capacity amid a new COVID-19 surge. Late last week, 94 percent of all inpatient beds and 94 percent of all ICU beds in Arizona were in use. COVID-19 patients took up more than one-third of those ICU beds, a ratio that pushes hospitals to capacity and beyond. Unvaccinated people make up more than 80 percent of hospitalized patients and fatalities in Arizona.

Around 63 percent of Arizionans eligible to be vaccinated — individuals ages 12 and older — are fully vaccinated. Only 6 percent of Arizona’s children ages 5-11 have been vaccinated after Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was authorized for emergency use in that age group in early November. In comparison, the national rate of 5- to 11-year-olds vaccinated against COVID-19 is 10 percent. The physicians urged parents to talk to their children’s doctors about getting vaccinated. The Arizona Department of Health Services offers a vaccine finder on its website. COVID-19 vaccines for children are also available at local pharmacies.

“I have seen COVID-19 ravage families leaving children without parents and grandparents and putting children in the hospital for months; getting adults and children vaccinated against COVID-19 is our best path out of this pandemic,” said Dr. Kara Geren, an emergency medicine specialist in Scottsdale. “While we understand parents may have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, the fact is that all the evidence indicates they are safe and effective, and more than 2.6 million U.S. kids between ages 5-11 have now been vaccinated safely. As physicians, we strongly encourage anyone with questions about the COVID-19 vaccines to please get information from their doctor, and not from social media or anti-vaccine politicians. While some state leaders have spread fear about vaccines and tried to divide us about COVID-19 protections generally, it’s not too late to get the facts and make the safe choice that will allow us to celebrate the holidays and start the new year with good health.”

Under the leadership of Governor Ducey and the Arizona State Legislature, Arizona has become the only state in which COVID-19 is the leading cause of death. The state has fought both mask and vaccine mandates.

“When more people are vaccinated, the virus that causes COVID-19 has fewer hosts left to infect and multiply in, drastically reducing community transmission, but Arizona still has a long way to go to achieve this effect and stop the virus in its tracks,” said Dr. Cadey Harrel, a family physician in Tucson and the Arizona State Lead for the Committee to Protect Health Care. “Vaccinating as many kids and adults now is how we can keep our schools open so children can learn in-person safely, without sudden closings that affect all families and disproportionately impact low-income, underserved families. When schools suddenly close because of COVID-19, many parents aren’t afforded the luxury of time off or costly child care, and may not have access to the internet for remote learning. Widespread vaccinations now can help make the holiday season a little safer and merrier for all Arizona families. The best gift we can give to our families is a holiday season they can enjoy without worrying whether they’ll get infected with a virus that has sickened 1.2 million Arizonans and is now the leading killer in our state.”

Arizona’s schools continue to struggle against COVID-19 outbreaks, with abrupt closings that send children home, lead to quarantines and disrupt classes. School staffing shortages are worsening in the pandemic, with nearly 26 percent of teacher vacancies in Arizona unfilled and 55 percent of vacancies filled by teachers who do not meet the state’s standard certification requirements. COVID-19 has also pushed up child deaths in Arizona, directly killing a dozen children and linked to dozens of additional child deaths.

About the Committee to Protect Health Care

The Committee to Protect Health Care, formerly known as the Committee to Protect Medicare, is a national mobilization of doctors, health care professionals, and advocates who are building a pro-patient health care majority in Congress and in states so that we can live in an America where everyone has the health care they need to thrive. To learn more: www.committeetoprotect.org

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