CDC Approves Vaccine for Children Ages 5+November 2021

All children ages 5 and older can now get an age-appropriate dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

COVID-19 tends to be milder in children compared with adults, however it can still make children very sick and cause a need for hospitalization. In some instances, the complications from the virus can lead to death. Although children are at a lower risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19 compared to adults, children can:

• Be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19
• Get very sick from COVID-19
• Have both short and long-term health complications from COVID-19
• Spread COVID-19 to others

Children with underlying medical conditions are more at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 compared to those without underlying medical conditions. Children who get infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 can also develop serious complications like multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C)—a condition where different body parts become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.

Help Protect Your Child, Your Family, and Others

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can help protect children ages 5 and older from getting COVID-19.

• Vaccinating children can help protect family members, including siblings who are not eligible for vaccination and family members who may be at increased risk of getting very sick if they are infected.
• Vaccination can also help keep children from getting seriously sick even if they do get COVID-19.
• Vaccinating children ages 5 and older can help keep them in school and help them safely participate in sports, playdates, and other group activities.

Help protect your whole family and slow the spread of COVID-19 in your community by getting yourself and your children ages 5 and older vaccinated against COVID-19.

COVID-19 Vaccines Are Safe for Children and Teens

Scientists have conducted clinical trials with about 3,000 children and the FDA has determined that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has met the safety and efficacy standards for authorization in children ages 5 through 15 years. In addition, Pfizer-BioNTech (COMIRNATY) COVID-19 Vaccine has now been FDA-approved for people ages 16 and older.

The Benefits of Children Getting a COVID-19 Vaccination Outweigh the Known and Potential Risks

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.

• Your child may get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including flu vaccine, at the same time.
• Serious health events after COVID-19 vaccination are rare.
• Cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart) have been reported after Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination of children ages 12–17 years. These reactions are rare; in one study, the risk of myocarditis after the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech in the week following vaccination was around 54 cases per million doses administered to males ages 12–17 years.
• A severe allergic reaction, like anaphylaxis, may happen after any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines, but this is rare.
• Your child cannot get COVID-19 from any COVID-19 vaccine, including the Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine.
• There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause fertility problems.

For more information: https https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/children-teens.html

Photo by Izzy Park on Unsplash