ThedaCare is committed to providing the most current and accurate COVID-19 vaccine information regarding eligibility, available doses and scheduling access.
During the week of May 10, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved expanded usage of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for 12-15-year-olds, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the vaccine for emergency use authorization.
“Our goal is to ensure coordination and continue our long history of delivering vaccines safely and effectively,” said Dr. Mark Cockley, ThedaCare Chief Clinical Officer. “We are encouraged by this milestone. Allowing children in the 12-15-year-old age group to be vaccinated will help us continue our fight against the virus.”
ThedaCare only recom-mends vaccines that are deemed to be safe, and encourages community members to get vaccinated when they are eligible.
Although most children who contract COVID-19 have mild symptoms, they can infect adults in their families, as well as outside the home. Dr. Cockley also noted that although infrequent, some children do get very sick from COVID-19, and prevention of serious illness in children is an important goal of vaccination.
“We encourage children in the 12-15-year-old age group who can safely receive the vaccine, do so,” said Dr. Cockley. “Children have been among those most impacted by the pandemic – from virtual learning and masking, to being isolated and away from friends – they have found ways to adapt. If more people are vaccinated, it will help us all return to a sense of normalcy, and allow our children to get back to those activities many of them have missed over the past year.”
According to the CDC, Pfizer has reported that children experience similar side effects as adults do after receiving the vaccine. The most common are pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain and fever. The side effects generally subside in 24 hours.
“The expanded vaccine eligibility is certainly an exciting moment, and it is important to get vaccinated if you are able to do so,” said Dr. Cockley. “When it comes to considering whether to get your child vaccinated, parents should have a conversation with their child’s health care provider and do their own research from trusted sources, including the CDC.”
At this time, community members can schedule vaccination appointments for 12-15-year-olds.
Currently, Pfizer is the only COVID-19 vaccine authorized for people age 12 and older. ThedaCare will have five vaccine clinics open across our service area for the next several weeks. Locations with available appointments include Appleton, Berlin, Neenah, Shawano and Waupaca.
ThedaCare will manage COVID-19 vaccine scheduling for people primarily through MyThedaCare/My Chart. This process ensures a single channel of coordination of the vaccine and that the vaccine becomes part of patients’ electronic medical records. Once individuals are eligible, they can make an appointment to be vaccinated.
If you or your children are not current ThedaCare patients or do not have MyThedaCare, you can set up a free account at MyThedaCare.org. MyThedaCare is also accessible on mobile devices through the MyChart app (available on both iOS and Android).
Create a MyThedaCare Account:
•Visit MyThedaCare.org
•Click “Sign Up Now”
•Follow the prompts
•Visit MyThedaCare today to ensure your account information is up to date*. Then monitor your email and app alerts in the coming weeks for your notification.
Parents will need to create an account for themselves and then one for their child, if they do not already have one. If you are creating a new account for a minor child, a proxy request will need to be completed. If you need help locating the information or are having trouble accessing your MyThedaCare account, please call the MyThedaCare technical help desk at 877-259-6180.
If you cannot access MyThedaCare, you can call your primary care provider’s office or 920-830-6877.
All 12-15-year-old children who are being vaccinated will need to have a parent/guardian with them at the vaccination appointment for consent. Written consent will not be accepted.
Vaccine updates will be available on the ThedaCare Facebook page and COVID-19 website. We encourage you to check those resources regularly and share them with friends and family.
For more information about COVID-19, vaccines, testing, online care options, an online symptom checker, community resources, prevention guidelines and other important news and updates, please visit thedacarecovid19.org/.
