'I Wish Vaccine Was Available': Surgeon General's 4-Year-Old Daughter Tests COVID-19 Positive

KEY POINTS

Vivek Murthy's daughter has a fever, sore throat and is being closely monitored
After his daughter's diagnosis, Murthy said, like any worrying parent, he asked himself if it was his fault
He said that parenting during the pandemic 'has been one of the hardest jobs'

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy announced Tuesday that his 4-year-old daughter tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend.

In a series of tweets, Murthy urged people to get vaccinated as he shared reflections on having a child with COVID-19. "The more we all get vaccinated and take precautions, the more we can protect all our kids," he said.

Murthy also wrote that he wishes COVID-19 vaccines were available to protect young children from the virus. "I wish a vaccine was available for my child and all kids <5. It would protect kids and help parents," he said, however, adding that safe and effective vaccine remains the number one priority.

"Until then, hold your kids and your loved ones close. That’s what we will do with our daughter until she’s better and for as long as possible thereafter," Murthy said.

He said that his little daughter has a fever, sore throat and is being closely monitored. Although isolating the young child is difficult, Murthy said he is grateful that contracting the virus is unlikely to cause severe illness to the rest of the family, as they are vaccinated.

After his daughter's COVID-19 test results came positive, Murthy said, like any worrying parent, he asked himself if it was his fault and if he could have done anything more to protect her. "Was this my fault? In these moments, it doesn’t matter if you’re a doctor or Surgeon General. We are parents first," Murthy wrote.

This weekend, my 4 y/o daughter tested positive for COVID-19. She’s had a fever and sore throat, and she isn’t her usual bubbly self. But thankfully she is eating, drinking, and breathing fine. We’re keeping a close eye on her. Worrying about her has prompted a few reflections:
— Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) February 15, 2022

Murthy also said he has immense respect for the parents who are struggling to make "exhausting decision-making" in connection with kids' health and their education during the pandemic. "Parenting during the pandemic has been one of the hardest jobs I could have imagined," he said, relating to the millions of parents across the country.

According to Murthy, the experience with the virus has made him realize that even though people have varied opinions about the pandemic, the ultimate aim is "to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe."

"I hope to remember this the next time I encounter someone with a different point of view," he wrote.

Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for children has been delayed for at least two months citing that it needed more data, The Hill reported.