COVID-19 Vaccines and Kids: What to Know – WebMD

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While a COVID-19 vaccine is available for adults, the kid version is still in clinical trials. But do children really need one? In short, yes.

Doctors cant always tell which children are more likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19. A vaccine will lower their chances of serious complications. Itll also help protect older adults around them who are high risk.

In addition, children under 21 make up about 25% of the U.S. population. If many of them get a vaccine, the chance of herd immunity goes up. Thats when a lot of people are immune to a specific disease. If enough people are resistant to the cause of a disease, such as a virus or bacteria, it has no one to infect.

The FDA approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for those age 16 and older. The Moderna and Janssen vaccines are for those 18 and older. These vaccines still mainly target adults, but some states also prioritize older children with intellectual/developmental disabilities or other medical conditions.

Pfizer finished a clinical trial for children 12-15 years old and will soon start trials for younger ages. Moderna recently began vaccine studies for children 6 months to 11 years old and another for ages 12 to 17. Johnson & Johnson plans to start similar trials soon.

Once vaccines reach approval for all children, the rollout will probably be like the distribution seen in adults, with higher-risk groups going first.

Children werent a part of the original clinical trials because theyre generally not as vulnerable as adults. The majority of the deaths during the pandemic -- 92% -- have been people age 55 and older.

This doesnt mean that children are immune to COVID-19. They simply have a lower chance of serious complications from the virus.

Another reason trials focused on adults first was speed. There are more levels of protection when children are involved in clinical trials. So it made sense to study an adult vaccine first to move quickly.

Scientists also need more time to research childrens vaccines because their immune systems change fast. This means that a childs body might respond differently to a vaccine depending on their age. Itll take longer to study these differences to make sure the vaccines are safe.

We dont yet know if children can take a COVID-19 vaccine with another type of immunization. But the CDC recommends adults wait at least 2 weeks after COVID-19 vaccination before getting something else, if possible.

Heres what you can do in the meantime to keep your child safe, especially if theyre in a high-risk group:

SOURCES:

Cincinnati Childrens Hospital: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information | Vaccines: What You Need to Know.

American Academy of Pediatrics: Moderna testing COVID-19 vaccine in children under 12.

Cleveland Clinic: Why a COVID-19 Vaccine for Children May Take Longer.

Rabia Agha, MD, director, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Maimonides Medical Center, New York City.

FDA: COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions.

CDC: Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States.

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COVID-19 Vaccines and Kids: What to Know - WebMD