COLUMBIA, Tenn. — Maury Regional Medical Group (MRMG) Primary Care and Pediatrics in Columbia is offering Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination to children ages 5 and older, according to MRMG Chief Medical Officer Chris Turner, MD.
MRMG Primary Care and Pediatrics is an internal medicine and pediatric practice serving patients of all ages, from newborns to adults. Providers Pinky Chugani, DO, and Andrew Nielsen, MD, are physicians board certified in internal medicine and pediatrics. Vaccinations are offered to children on a walk-in basis during regular business hours, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. The practice is located at 1222 Trotwood Avenue, Suite 108, in Columbia.
“I see vaccination for COVID similar to that for flu and other infectious diseases,” said Dr. Turner, who has vaccinated his own 7-year-old sons. “Childhood vaccination has been one of modern medicine’s greatest triumphs and has been fundamental to the eradication of infections like polio, diphtheria and measles. There has been a great deal of misinformation about the vaccine, particularly on social media, making it difficult to separate fact from fiction. I encourage parents to speak to a physician to learn more about the scientific evidence and discuss any concerns you may have.”
The Pfizer vaccine was previously approved for ages 12 and older and received approval for children ages 5-11 on October 29. In a news release announcing the authorization, the FDA stated that the decision was based on data for efficacy and safety, specifically listing key points for parents and caregivers:
- Effectiveness: Immune responses of children 5-11 years of age were comparable to those individuals 16-25 years of age. In addition, the vaccine was found to be 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children ages 5-11.
- Safety: The vaccine’s safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children ages 5-11 who received the vaccine and no serious side effects have been detected in the ongoing study.
Dr. Turner adds that nearly 900,000 children in the U.S. have already received their first dose to date and more than 252 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine have been safely administered nationwide among all ages, reducing severe disease and hospitalization.
For more information about MRMG Primary Care and Pediatrics, call 931.380.4066 or click here. COVID-19 vaccines for children are also available at local health departments and retail pharmacies.
Maury Regional Health has administered more than 45,000 vaccine doses to date. For additional details about vaccination opportunities, visit MauryRegional.com/COVIDvaccine.