Here is what parents need to know and understand about the children’s covid-19 vaccine. According to the CDC, vaccines are widely available for everyone aged five years and older.
- Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are now available to children aged 5-11 years.
- Anyone 18 and over who has been fully vaccinated can receive booster shots.
- People aged 12 years or older with moderately to severely uncompromising should plan to receive an additional primary dose, followed by a booster dose.
To protect everyone from COVID-19-related complications, widespread vaccination is essential. Fully vaccinated children and teens can resume many of their activities before the pandemic.
Find Out Where You Can Bring Your Child For Their Vaccine
- Regardless of immigration status or health insurance, all Americans are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination free of cost.
- Ask your child’s healthcare provider if they offer the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Visit their website to determine if your local pharmacy offers vaccination walk-ins and appointments for children.
- Contact your state, tribal, local, or tribal healthcare department for more information.
COVID-19 Is As Common In Children Like It Is In Adults
- COVID-19 can make you very sick.
- You can get both short-term and long-term health problems from COVID-19
- Spread COVID-19 to other people, at school and home.
As of mid-October 2021, children ages 5 through 11 years have experienced more than 8,300 COVID-19 related hospitalizations and nearly 100 deaths from COVID-19. COVID-19 is one of the ten leading causes of death in children between 5 and 11 years old.
COVID-19 infection can lead to severe complications in children, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MISC), a condition in which different body parts become inflamed. More than 2,300 cases have been reported among children aged 5-11 years since the outbreak. Children with underlying medical conditions are at greater risk of severe illness from COVID-19 than children without such conditions.
Help Protect Your Child, Your Family, and Others
Children aged five and over can get a COVID-19 vaccination to prevent them from contracting COVID-19.
- Immunizing children can protect siblings and other family members.
- Even if they get COVID-19, vaccination can help prevent serious illness in children.
- Children aged five and over are vaccinated to keep them safe and participate in group activities, such as sports, playdates, and other group activities.
Get your family vaccinated against COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect your entire family.
COVID-19 Vaccines Are Safe for Children and Teens
COVID-19 vaccines are being monitored for safety with the most comprehensive and intense safety monitoring program in U.S. history. CDC monitors the safety of all COVID-19 vaccines after the vaccines are authorized or approved for use, including the risk of myocarditis in children ages 5 through 11 years.
You may give your child a COVID-19 and flu vaccine simultaneously. Rarely are there any serious health issues after COVID-19 vaccination.
After Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged 12-17 years, cases of myocarditis and pericarditis have been reported. These reactions are uncommon. One study found that myocarditis was only possible after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. It occurred in 54 cases per million doses given to males aged 12-17 years.
Myocarditis is more common in adolescents aged 12-17 years than in children 5-11 years old. Clinical trials showed no myocarditis cases were reported in children aged 5-11 years who had received the COVID-19 vaccination.
Anaphylaxis or severe allergic reactions may occur after any vaccine, even COVID-19 vaccines. However, this is rare.
Your child from any COVID-19 vaccine cannot contract COVID-19. This includes the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine.
It is not known if COVID-19 vaccines cause fertility issues.
Preparing Children And Teens For Vaccination
- Before giving your child a vaccine, talk to them about what to expect.
- To avoid side effects, it is not recommended that you use pain relievers before vaccination.
- Discuss any allergies with your doctor.
- Your child should not be sitting or lying down during vaccinations. This will prevent any injuries from fainting.
- You will need to be there for your child’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Side Effects Possible
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Redness
- Swelling
- Pain
- Tiredness
- Nausea
- Chills
- Fever
These side effects can affect your child’s ability in daily activities but should disappear within a few days. Rarely, severe allergic reactions occur. Some people experience no side effects. If your child has an allergic reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine, the vaccine provider can quickly provide emergency medical care.
Ask your child’s healthcare provider about non-aspirin pain relief and other measures you can take at your home once your child is vaccinated. Aspirin should not be used in children or adolescents under 18 years old. Placing a cool, damp cloth on the injection site can help with discomfort.
Ensure that your child is well-prepared for the vaccination visit. Bring a book, blanket, or favorite toy to comfort your child during vaccinations.
You can chat with your child if they are older.
Talk to your child honestly. Explain to your child that shots can sting or pinch, but they won’t last long.
Get other family members involved, especially older siblings, to support your child.
Do not tell scary stories about shots or make threats.
Remember to remind your child that vaccinations can help keep you and your family healthy.
Get The Facts Based in Science Not Social Media
1. MYTH: It is safer for my child to build immunity by getting infected with COVID-19 than to build immunity by getting the vaccine.
Fact: Getting children ages five years and older vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best way to protect them from COVID-19.
COVID-19 should never be exposed to anyone. The risk of COVID-19 infecting children is the same as that for adults. In addition, children can become sick with COVID-19 and miss school or other learning opportunities.
Children who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 could also be at increased risk of developing long-term post-COVID-19 complications, hospitalizations, multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS), or even death. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has a 90% success rate in preventing COVID-19 among children aged 5-11 years.
Children 5 years old should be vaccinated to prevent them from contracting COVID-19. It also helps keep them safe in school and group activities.
Side effects that children may experience following vaccinations are not unlike those they might experience after routine vaccinations. These side effects are normal and part of their body’s protection-building process.
Side effects should disappear within a few days. However, the COVID-19 vaccine might cause more severe side effects in rare cases, such as an allergic reaction, myocarditis, or pericarditis (inflammation and swelling of the heart muscle). Find out more about side effects.
2. MYTH: COVID-19 vaccines can cause fertility and other reproductive problems
Fact: No evidence has been presented that any COVID-19 vaccines can cause fertility problems in men or women.
No evidence has been found that vaccines, including COVID-19, cause fertility problems in females or men. However, it is unknown if vaccine ingredients or antibodies created following COVID-19 vaccinations will cause issues in a future pregnancy. The COVID-19 vaccine does not affect puberty.
There is no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccination can cause a loss of infertility. Both men and women who are planning to have children in the future should also receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
3. MYTH: As children are not extremely harmed by COVID-19, getting vaccinated is not worth the risk.
Fact: COVID-19 vaccine is a good choice for children aged 5-11 years.
A COVID-19 vaccine can protect children five and over from contracting COVID-19. If your child does get COVID-19, it can protect them from serious illness, hospitalizations, and long-term complications.
The COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial was conducted with thousands of children. There were no safety concerns, and the side effects had minimal and no lasting effects. However, side effects may not occur in all children, and severe side effects are rare.
Children infected by COVID-19 may not experience the mild side effects some might experience after vaccination. However, they could become very sick. Children aged 5-11 years old have been hospitalized for more than 8,300 COVID-19-related illnesses and almost 100 COVID-19-related deaths as of October 2021. COVID-19 is one of the ten leading causes of death in children between 5 and 11 years old.
Children can also experience short-term and long-term effects after being infected with COVID-19. Post-COVID infections can occur in children who COVID-19 infects. These conditions can last several weeks or even longer. They can also become seriously ill with serious complications such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MISC), a condition in which different body parts become inflamed. More than 2,300 cases of MIS-C were reported among children aged 5-11 years between April 2020 and October 2021.
What Are The Ingredients For Each Vaccine?
COVID-19 vaccines for children, adolescents, adults, and adults contain active and inactive ingredients. Manufacturers may vary. See the following information to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines.
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Overview and Safety
Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Overview and Safety
Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Overview and Safety
None of the vaccines contains eggs, gelatin, or latex. In addition, all COVID-19 vaccines are free from metals like iron, cobalt, and lithium. They also have no manufactured products, such as electrodes, nanowire semiconductors, carbon nanotubes, or microelectronics.