Dear Putnam Valley Community:
As I am sure you are aware, the FDA has approved the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5-11. The vaccine is a smaller dose of the Pfizer vaccine that has already been fully authorized by the FDA for adults. We are aware that this announcement was welcome news to many parents who have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to vaccinate their children and we respect the decision of those parents who choose not to vaccinate their children at this time. We encourage everyone to speak directly to their pediatrician regarding the vaccine before making a decision on how to best move forward for their family.
Students who receive their first dose of the vaccine in the next few weeks would be fully vaccinated by the holidays. The current NYSDOH guidelines do not require vaccinated individuals to quarantine in the event of an exposure, as long as they remain symptom free.
Many parents have struggled to find available vaccination appointments for their children. In response to the current lack of available appointments, the Putnam County Department of Health will be hosting a number of vaccination clinics, for children, adults, and booster shots.
Please click on the link below to view available dates and more information from the Putnam County DOH https://www.putnamcountyny.com/putnam-health-department-offers-covid-vaccines-for-children-5-to-11-years-of-age-plus-boosters-for-eligible-adults/
Sincerely,
Dr. Jeremy Luft
Superintendent of Schools