The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for children 6 months of age. Vaccines for children can help protect against severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID.
Children 6 months and older may need one to three doses of either vaccine, depending on their age and vaccination status. Both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech produce a lower-dose COVID vaccine for children.
Vaccination is key to preventing COVID and complications caused by the virus. Treatment options for young children with COVID are very limited. The immune response from vaccination compared to infection is also different. Infection causes viral replication and tissue invasion and damage.
A 2022 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation suggested an initial increase in demand. About one in five parents of children under 5 said they plan to vaccinate their children “right away” when they are eligible.
About 28% wanted to wait and see how other young children fare before vaccinating their child. The survey also found significant reluctance to vaccinate: almost 27% said they would “definitely not” vaccinate their child. A further 11% said they would only do so if required by a school or nursery school.
There were none COVID vaccines for children younger than 6 years old Before June 2022, the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had to review the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines in infants and young children before approving them.
To be fully vaccinated, children ages 6 months to 4 years can receive either two doses of the Moderna vaccine or three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Each dose is less than what an older child, adolescent or adult would receive in a single dose. Children ages 6 to 11 need only one dose of any vaccine.
Clinical trials of two COVID vaccines have shown them to be effective and safe for children. Both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines can produce antibodies that protect against the virus, similar to adults.
The risk of serious illness in children from COVID is lower than in adults, but they are not immune to the virus. “At the height of the Omicron wave, we still saw a lot of children being hospitalized,” Jennifer Naiak, MDassociate professor of pediatric infectious disease at the University of Rochester Medical Center, said Health. “Vaccines are the best protection we have against it.”
This does not mean that children who are vaccinated will not get COVID at all. The amount of protection these vaccines provide has declined over time as new variants and sub-variants have emerged. The vaccine continues to significantly reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID.
The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are generally well tolerated. Keep in mind that the vaccine cannot give you or your child COVID because it does not use a live virus.
Side effects, which usually go away within a few days, may include:
- The chills
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Pain, redness or swelling at the injection site
- Fatigue
“Fever rates were slightly higher in these younger children (in the clinical trials), although high fever was rare,” said Dr. Nayak, who participated in the clinical trials. Fever is a typical side effect of many other childhood vaccines, such as the chickenpox and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccines.
Children should not receive Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines if they have had a severe allergic reaction to the ingredients. They may be eligible for Novavak, which is a different vaccine against COVID. Novavak is approved for children 12 years and older.
Both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines use messenger RNA (mRNA), which is a type of genetic material. Scientists have created the mRNA used in these vaccines in the laboratory. RNA enters muscle cells through vaccination.
The mRNA teaches the cells to make the spike protein. This protein is also found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID. The body detects the spike protein, which triggers an immune response. The immune system makes antibodies, similar to what it does in response to infection. These antibodies can protect you from future diseases.
You can visit vaccines.gov or contact your local health department to find out where to get your child’s COVID vaccine. Most private insurance plans, Medicare, and Medicaid cover the cost of COVID vaccines. The CDC also offers a program called Vaccines for children (VFC) which offers vaccines for free if you visit a qualified health care provider.
Children 6 months and older can receive either the Moderna or the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine. Covid can give parents some peace of mind, knowing that their child has some protection against the virus. Vaccination helps protect against serious illness, hospitalization and death.
Scientists have tested both vaccines for safety and effectiveness in children. Mild side effects, such as chills, pain at the injection site, and muscle pain, usually disappear within a few days.