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This Health Facts for You talks about the importance of the COVID-19 Vaccine.
We recommend that your child receive the vaccine. It is the best tool we have available to reduce the harm from COVID-19. Vaccines help prevent the infection and serious illness. Without the vaccine, it could lead to hospitalization or death. The American Academy of Pediatrics and UW Health agree that children should receive the vaccine once eligible.
Preventing the Spread
While older adults are at a higher risk for serious disease, your child can also get severely ill from COVID-19. Kids can also easily spread the illness to others who are high-risk and who could get very ill or die. The vaccine protects children and the people around them.
The vaccine and other safety measures help children safely attend school and other activities. These are needed for your child’s mental and physical health.
Vaccine Safety
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been proven to be safe for children ages 6 months and older. Children can be protected with a lower dose than teens and adults. This helps decrease side effects.
Side Effects
Side effects are expected and tend to be more common after the second dose. Side effects are a sign that the immune system is building up protection to the disease.
Side effects may include:
Fatigue
Nausea
Muscle pain
Chills
Joint pain
Headache
Infection
The level of protection from a COVID-19 infection varies and lessens over time. People can be infected with COVID-19 more than once. The vaccine protects much better and for much longer than the immune protection after infection.
Your child can wait to receive a vaccine after a COVID-19 infection. Wait until they are symptom-free and it has been about a month since their infection.
Variants
Current vaccines protect against new strains (variants). This protection is being closely monitored as new strains are found. The more people who get COVID-19, the more chances there are for the virus to mutate. To prevent new strains, it is important that as many people as possible receive a vaccine and boosters once eligible.
Respiratory Illness
There are many ways to protect your child from illness. Keep your child current on their routine vaccines, including the yearly flu vaccine. Other ways to prevent respiratory illness include:
Wearing a mask while traveling/in large gatherings.
Frequent handwashing.
Staying away from ill people.
Scheduling the Vaccine
COVID-19 vaccines can be given along with other vaccines. Do not delay any needed vaccines. Sometimes, patients are told not to schedule vaccines within 48 hours of certain procedures. This is to avoid confusing side effects of a vaccine with complications of the procedure.
Learn More
If you have questions about vaccines, contact your child’s health care provider. You can also scan the QR code to visit our website for answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccines.