On September 26, Kaiser Permanente informs the public that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11. The Pfizer vaccine for children comes in a lower dose and with smaller needles than those used for people 12 and older. Like the vaccine for adults and teens, it also will be given in 2 doses, at least 21 days apart.
The vaccine’s safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children, and no serious side effects have been detected. Not only was the children’s vaccine found to be 90.9% effective in preventing COVID-19 but the vaccines also reduce the risk of severe symptoms. More than 1.9 million 5- to 11-year-olds in the U.S. have been infected by COVID-19 during the pandemic and 8,300 have been hospitalized, according to the CDC, so this vaccine will be an important way we can protect our children.
As we move into the holiday season and look forward to family gatherings, physicians recommend protecting all eligible children with a COVID-19 vaccine.