Finally, children can be vaccinated for Covid!  Well, some of them.  Ages 12-17 years have been approved for the Pfizer vaccine, and they are still in trials for younger children.  The Moderna vaccine is currently in trials down to 6 months old.

Why should we vaccinate our children for Covid?

While it’s true children weren’t hospitalized at near the rate the adults were, they do also get sick with Covid.  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reports that over 1.5 million children just in the 12-17 age group were diagnosed with Covid, and at least 13,000 of those were hospitalized.  Overall, children have accounted for over 3.8 million cases, and up to 10% of those were hospitalized.  Children can also be affected by long Covid.

In addition to the physical effects of Covid on children, there’s also the effect on families.  Every time a child is sick, that’s time away from school for the child and time away from work for the caregivers.  With the quarantining needed for Covid, that makes it weeks away from school and work.  

Immunizing children adds to herd immunity.  Herd immunity is when so many people are vaccinated for Covid that the virus can’t find someone to infect.  It essentially makes a wall of healthy people around those who are unable to get the vaccine, or whose immune system didn’t make a good response.    

Is it safe?

The short answer is yes.  Both of these vaccines are made of messenger RNA (mRNA), which tells your cells to make a certain protein that is on the surface of the Covid virus.  This protein then is shown to the immune system, similar to a scent to a tracking dog.  Then, when your immune system encounters, or ‘smells’ this scent again, it can attack right away.

This mRNA is not dangerous, and it cannot change your DNA (your actual genes).  Think of it like a recipe.  The mRNA in our bodies act like photocopies of recipes.  They don’t change the cookbook (DNA), but they take the instructions from the cookbook to the cooks (protein assembly areas) to tell them what to do.

Actual side effects of the vaccines can include pain at the vaccination site, fevers, muscle aches, headaches, joint pain, and fatigue that can start within a few days of getting the vaccine.  They can last a few days, and can be helped with motrin and/or tylenol.  Some people don’t get any symptoms, and some people feel like they have the flu.  However, this is a sign of your immune system working, so you can think of it as a good thing.   

Is there anyone who shouldn’t get the Covid vaccine?

People who have been shown to be allergic to the vaccine (had to use an epi-pen, or had to go to the hospital) should not get a second dose.  Anyone who is allergic to any of the components of the vaccine, including polyethylene glycol, should not get the vaccine.

Those with children who have problems with their immune system, or who are immune compromised should check with their specialist.  They should be able to get the vaccine, but their immune system may not become protective enough.

Finally, children who have had MIS-C should wait 3 months after diagnosis to get the vaccine.  

What about other vaccines they may need?    

Until last week the recommendation has been to not give any other immunizations within two weeks of giving the Covid vaccine-before or after.  However, the American Academy of Pediatrics came out last week with a recommendation to no longer space Covid out from other vaccines, which the CDC agrees with.  This is due to a few things; a long history of giving vaccines at the same time, the Covid vaccine being very safe, and the fear that spacing out vaccines will keep children from getting up to date on their regular vaccines. 

Bottom line.

I got my Covid vaccine.  Go get yours if you haven’t.  Get your children theirs.

Links.

Information about Covid vaccines at CDC.gov.

Where you can get a Covid vaccine.