Message from The Pediatric Care Center
The Pediatric Care Center is pleased to offer the COVID-19 vaccination to children 6 months to 5 years at our Bristol and Southington locations.
Getting the vaccine will help keep your child from getting seriously sick if they do get COVID-19 and help keep them from spreading COVID to others. All children, including children who have already had COVID-19, should get vaccinated.
Call our Bristol or Southington locations to schedule an appointment today.
FAQs: The COVID-19 Vaccine and Kids
Now, all kids ages 5 and up are eligible for the vaccine. These are general answers to common questions. For questions about your child’s individual health history, contact your child’s pediatrician.
If my child already had COVID-19, should they still get the vaccine?
Yes. Even though they’ll have some level of natural immunity, the vaccine provides additional protection. It’s possible to get COVID-19 more than once, so the vaccine helps prevent another infection.
If most kids don’t get very sick from COVID-19, why do they need a vaccine?
While serious illness occurs less in kids than adults, it still happens. Throughout the pandemic, thousands of children in the U.S. have been hospitalized with COVID-19. And we’re still studying the long-term effects of this illness.
Plus, the vaccine helps prevent kids from spreading COVID-19 to loved ones and other people in the community. It helps them fully participate in school, since quarantine requirements are often different for students who are vaccinated. It’s a safer way for your family to return to favorite activities.
How do we know the COVID-19 vaccine is safe for young kids?
Safety experts from the CDC and FDA have carefully reviewed months of clinical trial data for ages 5 to 11, and found that the vaccine is safe and effective for this age group. Millions of doses have already been given to adolescents and adults in the U.S.
Which COVID-19 vaccine will young kids get?
All children ages 5 to 17 receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is currently the only COVID-19 vaccine authorized for these ages. At all ages, this vaccine is given in two shots, about three weeks apart. Ages 5 to 11 receive a low dosage: just 10 micrograms per shot, a third of the dosage for adolescents and adults.
The vaccine uses mRNA technology, which has been studied for more than a decade. There is no live virus involved – the mRNA molecule is simply a messenger that tells the body how to create an immune response. Then it’s quickly broken down by the body and disappears.
Will my child have side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine?
They might. Just like adults, it’s common for some kids to have a fever, be tired and achy, and feel sore where they got their shot. These symptoms go away in about a day. Similar side effects are common with lots of routine vaccinations, including the flu shot.
For more information: https://www.connecticutchildrens.org/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/
