Public Health Question (November 2021)
My child will be 6 years old on December 29th and I’m concerned that she may be too young for this vaccine.
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ANSWER: The United States has the safest, most effective vaccine supply in its history. Years of testing are required by law to ensure that vaccines are safe before they are made available in the United States. This process can take 10 years or longer. Please review the CDC statement authorizing pediatric vaccine for additional information: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s1102-PediatricCOVID-19Vaccine.html. Also review, the Pfizer information fact sheet for parents and caregivers which has information about ingredients, benefits, risks, possible side effects and Pfizer’s contact information, it can be reviewed at: https://www.fda.gov/media/153717/download If you still have concerns after reviewing the above information, you should consult with your pediatrician, family physician or healthcare provider.
The Pediatric Pfizer vaccine is administered as a two dose primary series, three weeks apart, and is a lower dose than the dosage for those ages 12 and older; as an added benefit, the vaccine utilizes a smaller needle. Please note that clinical data examined by FDA has shown that the vaccine is safe and is 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children ages 5-11 years old.
According to the CDC, “children are at a lower risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19 compared with adults” however there are many reasons why children should receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Some of these are: children can still become very sick from the COVID-19 virus, children can transmit the virus to others, and vaccination can help prevent children from becoming seriously ill. To learn more about this follow this link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/children-teens.html.