Hello, everyone. Good afternoon. Thank you guys so much for being here. My name is Alicia Clark with the Washington mystics and along with Thomas Bryant, the Washington Wizards and firstly, Dr. Joe Biden, we just like to thank you all so much for coming to today's events. I know over the last year and a half, there's been a lot of misinformation about the vaccine, a lot of anger, and obviously just a bunch of different emotions around vaccines and what that means for us as a nation, what that means for us individually and collectively as families. I just want to applaud each and every one of you for taking the step today to trust the science and medical professionals who have been working around the clock to extensively research and find a way for us to get on the other side of this pandemic. I know today is a big deal. And some of you guys may be nervous, maybe you don't like needles either, either. But I do know that each and every one of us up here has gone through the vaccine process, who's gone through what you're about to go through today. And I hope that gives you some confidence. I hope that gives you a peace of mind about the decision that you made today, not only to help yourself, but to help those around you. So with all that being said, it is my honor to introduce surgeongeneral, the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy.
Well, thank you so much for that kind introduction. And I got a chance to meet all of our superheroes a superhero.
statement, I come back home, but I tell them today what I did, they'd be very happy to make something up. But it's truly an honor to be here with all of you today. And I want to start by acknowledging Children's National Hospital, and the broader family. All the leadership and staff, the doctors, the nurses, the therapists, the technicians, the receptionist, and maintenance, all the people who make this place work. And you all have played a role during this pandemic. I'm so grateful for it. And I want to tell you on a personal note, several years ago, when my daughter was one, he was brought into an international and hospitalized and needed emergency surgery. It was a scary moment for my wife and I, she just might notice our one year old just started limping one day. And before we knew it, we were here in the emergency room, anxious, scared, and trying to figure out what was going on. And during those harrowing days. During those harrowing days, I saw firsthand, this extraordinary lens that this team and this family at Children's National goes through to make sure that every child is taken care of. And I sat outside the operating room, I sat by my child's bedside, and waited outside the MRI scanner all wondering what was going to happen at every turn. They were somebody from the hospital to check on us. Look after us to make sure we in our daughter. Thanks to the extraordinary care that you took to my daughter she is doing well. She was discharged from the hospital, she's now about to turn four. And each time I look at the scar on her leg from the surgery and run my finger over. And I'm reminded that not just a bit pain. And then here we went through but now more and more of in compassion and kindness in Concord here. And that is because of all. So when I say thank you for what you have done, I want you to know that I mean it from the bottom of my heart, and deeply appreciate what you've mentioned your kids during this pandemic.
Want to recognize the families here, the parents, the children, all of those who support kids, even if you're not directly related to them, your family to many of you have sustained great losses during this pandemic. But despite that, you have dug deep within yourself and found a way to support your kids to reach out and be there for one another. And you've been the backbone of your communities at a time when your communities really needed support. So I want you to know how grateful we are for you today as well. We're here today to speak about an incredibly exciting milestone that we've arrived at this is the arrival of a vaccine that can protect our children and is adapted to kids who are under 12. I've been waiting for this moment for many of us parents have as well. Recently, as you know, the FDA and CDC gave their authorization recommendation for COVID-19 vaccines for kids aged five through 11. And what I want to convey to parents today by Dr. Biden has underscored so often and so effectively to communities across America is that this vaccine will help protect our children and our communities. That is the bottom line about this vaccine for kids five through 11. And the reason it is so is because we know two critical things about the vaccine. Number one, it works, it's highly effective. And number two, it has a very strong safety profile. And this vaccine was tailored for kids. It's at a lower dose, it was it's about a third of the adult dose. But it also went through clinical trials that are specific for five through 11 year olds went through a careful and rigorous review process with independent scientists and with government scientists. And in their review, they follow the same high standards that we follow for any vaccine for children. And here's what they found. The side effects seen in the trials included some soreness in the arm at hay fever, that these lasted for a day or two, and left our children with protection against COVID-19. Very importantly, based on no serious adverse effects in these studies, that's so important, because there's nothing more important to us parents than the safety of our children. But what about the effectiveness, I'm happy to say that in the trials, a vaccine was found to be over 90% effective at protecting our children from symptomatic COVID-19. As far as vaccines go, that's a very, very strong result. So all of this is very reassuring news. And the reason this is so important, because is there's a narrative out there, that kids aren't affected by COVID-19. That's not a big deal if our kids deal with virus. And I want to tell you that that's that's not true. Because while our kids are less at risk for COVID-19 for bad outcomes, and COVID, then older adults, we have had hundreds of children who have lost their life, and COVID-19. During this pandemic, we've had 1000s of children who have been hospitalized because of COVID during this pandemic 1000s who have experienced, you know, sort of multi system inflammatory syndromes which affect multiple organs, including the heart really knows this better LMU Children's Hospital have cared for many of those children over this past year and a half. But our kids have also suffered something else, which is a social and emotional impact of this pandemic. School Sports arts programs have been interrupted. Children have missed out have a chance to spend time with grandparents to get together with friends that have sleepovers and birthday parties. And the kids are now struggling with anxiety, depression and loneliness as a result, this vaccine will not only help keep our children healthy and safe, there will help return them to so many of the activities that they need. They love that they're finally there's one important issue I want to warn foreign parents. And that is the danger of health misinformation. Now, as soon as the vaccine was authorized, we already knew that parents were getting inundated in their inboxes. And their social media feeds on text spreads with false claims about the vaccine. And we've seen this actually throughout the vaccination effort even for adults. But that's why I'm asking parents today to be careful about where you get your information from, and to seek answers from credible sources, like your doctors, like nurses, like your children's hospital like this one, your local Department of Health and the CDC. Finally, I want to end by just saying thank you to all of you once again, I had while I had the great privilege of serving as Surgeon General and as a physician, my most proud title, the most important title.
And as a parent, I could not be more grateful for what you do each and every day to protect our children, and to take care of the next generation. Now with great pride, that I introduce a public servant, who has spent for life looking out for Children and Families is a teacher who has put our heart and soul into strengthening the next generation. And she's a role model who has inspired me, my wife, Alice, and millions of others in the United States and around the world to serve nearly with dedication, integrity. Please join me in welcoming my friend, our First Lady of the United States. Dr. Jill
Thank you, thank you. You're so reassuring to America's families as both the nation's doctor and of course as a father of young children. And don't feel like you could just listen to his voice so today, assemble some very special guests to help spread the word of back about vaccines. Captain America and Cinderella. Two people here can only see super human, Alisha and Tom and your teams, the wizards and the mystics for being such great partners. Thank you. We're honored to be joined by DCS Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes.
And to all the kids getting your shots, you are the real heroes. So let's get around.
Today, I'm here to talk to all your moms and dads. You know, when you become a parent, there's a moment that we all go through. When you look at your little baby with high scoring saucer, little tiny fingers. And you feel this overwhelming sense of love deep in your bones. And you feel absolute terror. You know that this little tiny, fragile life is depending on you. And from that moment on, you see the world differently. Every step, every street corner, every bite of food, you know, dangers that you never even noticed before. So we buy baby gates and we cover all our electrical outlets. We wrestle them into their car seats, no matter how much they can we make them their vegetables, and we stuck them into winter coats and scars until they can fit. We held her hands to cross the street and we teach them to look both ways, right? Yeah. And the after bedtime, when we're exhausted from the day, and we were sure that if we hear a glass of water one more time, we will descend into permanent madness. Quietly close the bedroom door and feel this kind of gratitude. Knowing that those dinner complaints and bedtime negotiations mean that everything is okay. That the they are healthy and growing. That we are parents we do absolutely everything we can to protect our kids. And in this pandemic, you did. You figured out how to support their virtual learning while working your job too. You found ways to create online playdates and birthday parties. And you chose to get yourself vaccinated. And even though there were times when you probably felt like no matter what you did, it just wasn't enough. I want you to know, you all, carry your family through this. And you are doing an amazing job.
And I know how difficult this has been for you and your family. And I care today because we care about you and your children. Joe and our team have been working every day to give you what you need to keep your family safe in this energetic. And parents. I'm so excited that now you have a new way to do just that. A vaccine for children five and up
over the last few months. And now it's here. Not just another way to protect your kids against COVID-19. But as Dr. Murthy said the best way. So here's what I want you to remember and share with other parents. That vaccine protects your children against COVID-19. It's been thoroughly reviewed and rigorously tested. It's safe. It's free. And it's available for every single child in this country by parenthood and worrying go hand in hand don't they? It's just what parents do. We've already constantly got our kids. So I can't promise you that the dangers of this world will become any less frightening. I mean, just wait until your kids start driving
this vaccine, we can take away at least one of those worries, a big one. From the day that you help your sweet guide your little pain, you have made the choice again and again, to keep your child safe. Giving your child the COVID-19 vaccine is your choice to so make the decision to protect your children with the same vaccine that has already saved millions of lives. Because nothing absolutely nothing is more important than our children's health. And it's up to us to keep them safe. And with this vaccine, we defend those. Thank you. Thank you all for being here. We appreciate