Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone aged 5 and older get a COVID-19 vaccine to help protect against Covid-19.
A recent report from CDC confirms that children aged between 5 and 17 are able to get an age-appropriate dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.
Before recommending Covid-19 vaccination for children, scientists conducted clinical trials. The FDA gave the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine emergency authorization to use in children aged between 5-15 years and full approval to use in people ages 16 years and older.
Widespread vaccination for Covid-19 is a critical tool to best protect everyone, especially those at the highest risk, from severe illness and death.
Although children are at a lower risk of becoming severely ill with Covid-19 compared with 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 with children 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.
Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine Dosage and Administration for Children and Teens
Adolescents ages 12 years and older receive the same dosage of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine as adults.
A second shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine should be administered three weeks after the first shot.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged between 5 and 11 years has the same active ingredients as the vaccine given to adults and adolescents. However, they cannot get the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine given to adults and adolescents.
In addition, children aged between 5 and 11 years receive an age-appropriate dose that is one-third of the adult dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. Smaller needles, designed specifically for children, are also used for children ages 5 through 11 years.
Possible side effects after getting the vaccine
On the vaccine site:
· Pain
· Redness
· Swelling
Throughout the rest of their body:
· Tiredness
· Headache
· Muscle pain
· Chills
· Fever
· Nausea
