The CDC recommends that all children aged 5 years and older get the Covid 19 Vaccine to protect them against Corona virus. This is because children are as likely as adults to be infected with the Covid 19 virus which can result in both short-term and long-term complication like multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C).
In addition to developing serious complications, children infected with Corona virus can also die and have being doing so since Covid 19 ranks as one of the top 10 causes of death for children aged between 5 and 11 years in the USA.
Vaccinating children therefore protects them from death and serious complications of the infection. It also helps stop them from spreading the infection to other children in their home or school. Vaccination also keeps them in school and enables them to engage in other social activities like sports and play dates.
Covid 19 vaccination is thus very important for all children and especially those with an underlying condition since they are more likely to develop severe illness from Corona virus infection.
The Pfizer vaccine has been authorized for use in children aged 5 to 18 years. The Moderna and Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccines have not been authorized for use in children aged less than 18 years.
Children receiving this Covid 19 vaccine develop side effects like pain and redness at the injection site, fever, chills, fatigue, headache and muscle aches. These side effects are usually mild in severity and clear up within 48 hours.
A few children develop myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the outer covering of the heart) especially after receiving the second dose of mRNA covid vaccines like Pfizer. Symptoms of these conditions include chest pain, shortness of breath and feeling the heart beating rapidly. However, these cases are rare and more common in unvaccinated children who get infected with the Corona virus.
As of November 2021, there is no vaccine for children aged 4 years and below because the vaccines are still ongoing clinical trials to determine the safe and effective dose for this age group. A vaccine centre in Montreal, Canada is currently conducting clinical trials on 6 month to 6 year old children using the Moderna vaccine. This mRNA vaccine contains 25 micrograms of the dose which is half the dose that is recommended for 6 to 12 year old children. This trial also seeks to determine the efficacy and safety of the vaccine in these young children.
Trials using other vaccines like the Pfizer vaccine are also been done on children to ascertain the lowest dose possible that will give the strongest protection to the children from the Corona virus. This is because vaccine dosages are determined by the age of the child unlike medication doses which are determined the weight of the child.
In conclusion, most Covid vaccines are safe for people who are 18 years and above as well as for children aged from 5 to 18 years. They are also seemingly safe for younger children however the safe dose is the one under investigation by various organizations.