COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 6 months to 5 years

Here is what you need to know about getting your kids vaccinated

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in June that children between the age of 6 months and 5 years are now eligible to be vaccinated for COVID-19 with either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines. While COVID-19 rarely leads to death for young children, they can still get very sick and sometimes need hospital treatment. According to the CDC, getting your child vaccinated for COVID-19 is an important way to lower the chance your child could be infected and developing complications from infection.

Here are some important reasons from the CDC on why children should be vaccinated:

COVID-19 vaccines are safe

The vaccines for COVID-19 have been rigorously tested to be safe and effective for everyone 6 months and older. The vaccines are also continuously monitored by the FDA to ensure safety and effectiveness.

Vaccination helps protect children from COVID-19 infection

COVID-19 vaccines can help reduce the chance of children getting COVID-19 and can prevent severe and long-term complications from infection. Getting your child vaccinated can also give you peace of mind so that you can feel comfortable about sending your child to school and other social activities.

Children get smaller doses of COVID-19 vaccine

Children get a smaller dose of the COVID-19 vaccine than adults and teens because the dose is based on a child’s age when they get vaccinated. Other routine vaccines also follow these criteria.

Children who have had COVID-19 should still be vaccinated

Evidence shows that even if a child has already had COVID-19 they can get added protection by getting vaccinated. If a child has been infected with COVID-19, they may need to wait up to three months from when their symptoms started or when they had a positive test for their next dose.

Schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment

To find out where you can get COVID-19 vaccines near you, visit vaccines.gov/search. You can also find more information about COVID-19 vaccines for children in the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) announcement.

Posted: July 29, 2022

Source: CDC, FDA