Pediatric Vaccines

• Is vaccination with mRNA vaccines safe for children?

  Before a COVID-19 vaccine is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for different age groups, clinical trials take place with thousands of individuals to establish safety and effectiveness. There are often temporary side effects, such as sore arm, low fever, and muscle aches and pains, that typically go down in a day or two. This is a sign that your body is working hard to develop antibodies to help protect you against the virus. Serious reactions after COVID-19 vaccination in children are rare, and when they are reported, they most frequently happen within a few days after vaccination.

  Millions of children and teens aged 5 through 17 years have received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Ongoing safety monitoring shows that the known risks and possible severe complications of COVID-19 outweigh the potential risks of having a rare, adverse reaction to vaccination.

  mRNA vaccines are newly available to the public, but researchers have been studying and working with mRNA vaccines for decades. None of the mRNA vaccines contain metals.

  To learn more about mRNA vaccines, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mRNA.html.

• Why should I vaccinate my child/children against COVID-19?

  It’s important to vaccinate your child/children against COVID-19 because they can get very sick. They may even need treatment in a hospital, and in rare situations, can even die. Some may think that only children with underlying medical conditions are more likely to get severe COVID-19. However, healthy children can also experience severe illness.

  Children who have been infected with or been exposed to someone with COVID-19 can also be at an increased risk of something called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). MIS-C is a condition where the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs can become inflamed. Most cases of MIS-C resolve with medical care, but the condition can be serious, even deadly.

  For more information on MIS-C, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) page: 
https://www.cdc.gov/mis/mis-c.html.

• Do I need to be concerned about long COVID for my child/children?

  After getting COVID-19, children and teens can also experience long COVID. Long COVID includes a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems, which can last for weeks and affect quality of life. These long-term effects can be physical and/or psychological. People with long COVID may experience many symptoms such as general tiredness or fatigue, difficulty concentrating, headache and light-headedness, respiratory, heart, neurological and digestive symptoms, and symptoms that are difficult to manage or explain by tests.

  For more information on long COVID, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/long-term-effects/index.html

• What is the hospitalization rate and the frequency of cases of COVID-19 in children?

  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), when the Omicron variant was at its peak, hospitalization rates associated with COVID-19 increased rapidly among infants and children. COVID-19 hospitalization rates in children aged 5 through 11 years were approximately twice as high among unvaccinated as among vaccinated children. Non-Hispanic Black children represented the largest group of unvaccinated children. Thirty percent of hospitalized children had no underlying medical conditions, and 19% were admitted to an intensive care unit. Children with diabetes and obesity were more likely to experience severe COVID-19.

• Do I need to be concerned about myocarditis for my child/children?

  Rare cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart) have been reported after vaccination with an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccines is most common in people assigned male at birth, particularly in males between the ages of 12 and 39 years. It typically happens within the first several days after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination, and cases occurred more often after the second dose than the first dose. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to recommend vaccination against COVID-19 as the benefits outweigh the potential risks.

  COVID-19 is also strongly associated with myocarditis. The risk of heart problems including myocarditis in children due to COVID-19 is much higher than the risk of myocarditis after the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

  For more information on myocarditis, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/myocarditis.html.

• Can vaccination with mRNA vaccines affect fertility?

  Based on current knowledge and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other professional medical organizations, COVID-19 vaccines do not have any adverse effect on fertility.

  There is no evidence of any fertility issues in adults who have received a COVID-19 vaccine and no evidence suggesting fertility problems in any vaccine approved in the US. No loss of fertility has been reported among trial participants or among the millions who have received the vaccines since their approvals. Similarly, there is no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine affects puberty.

• Will the mRNA vaccine work against the current Omicron variant?

  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 vaccines remain the best public health measure to protect people from COVID-19 and reduce the chance of new variants emerging. This includes primary series doses, booster shots, and additional doses for those who need them. Current mRNA COVID-19 vaccines help protect against severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths due to infection with the Omicron variant. Although breakthrough infections can occur in those who are vaccinated against COVID-19, they are less likely to develop serious illness than those who are unvaccinated.

• Why is the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose different for children than it is for adults?

  Different doses are needed depending on age. Doses are studied in vaccine trials to determine the appropriate amount to bring about the needed immune response within certain age groups, including children and adolescents. Please consult with your healthcare provider to get information on the correct dose for your child’s age.

• My child/children already had COVID-19. Do they still need to get vaccinated?

  Yes, it is recommended that your child/children still get vaccinated with the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Emerging evidence shows that people can get added protection by getting vaccinated after having been infected with COVID-19. Although fully vaccinated individuals and those previously infected with COVID-19 each have a lower risk of reinfection for at least 6 months, mRNA vaccines typically lead to more consistent protection.

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children receive vaccination even if they have had COVID-19.

• Where can I get my child/children vaccinated with the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine?

  You can find the most current information on where to get your child/children vaccinated with the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine from your state, territorial, tribal, or local health authorities or from https://www.vaccines.gov.