Schools, playgrounds, and, most of all, our children will soon be better protected against COVID-19, thanks to the latest news from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The agency has announced that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for children between the ages of 12 to 15 and authorized emergency use of the vaccine; the CDC also recommends the vaccine in this age group. You may have questions about this new development. Kristin Oliver, MD, MHS, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, and Environmental Medicine and Public Health, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, has answers.
How effective is the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 12 to 15?
All indications are that COVID-19 vaccination is highly effective in children ages 12 to 15. In the trial, the vaccine prevented 100 percent of COVID-19 cases among participants who got the vaccine. It’s important to remember that the results we see in clinical trials—called efficacy—may be slightly better than what we see when the vaccine is out in the world—effectiveness. People in the clinical trials always get the vaccine exactly as indicated, but this isn’t always the case in the real world. Once we start immunizing more and more people over time, we’ll have a better sense of the vaccine’s effectiveness for ages 12 to 15, but I expect this will also be really high.
Is it safe?
The COVID-19 vaccine is safe for children ages 12 to 15, just as it is for people 16 and older. In addition, the FDA will continue to monitor safety for another two years.
Researchers at the CDC are investigating a link between COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna and heart inflammation in young men and boys. Myocarditis and pericarditis can be serious but, fortunately, these side effects to vaccination are very rare and the cases connected to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine have been mild. So, the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination in this group still outweigh the risks of getting myocarditis from the vaccine.
Will our children experience any side effects from the vaccine?
We can expect children to have side effects similar to what we’ve seen in adults. The most common are pain and swelling at the injection site, tiredness, and headaches. In the study fewer than one in five 12- 15 year olds who get the shot, had a fever. The good news is that these side effects usually only last for a couple of days and can be treated with over-the-counter medication.
Remember: these types of side effects are a sign that the body’s immune system is responding to the vaccine, which is a good thing. We have seen more of these side effects to the COVID-19 vaccination than, say, the tetanus booster or HPV vaccine. For that reason, you might want to have your child take the vaccine on day when you know they can take is easy the next couple days.
Are there some 12- to 15-year-olds who should not take the vaccine?
Anyone who has had an allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine, or who had an allergic reaction to the first dose of the vaccine, shouldn’t take it.
But peanut, egg, and other food allergies are not a contraindication. If your child has any of these allergies, they can take the vaccine. If you have any questions about your child’s allergies and COVID-19 vaccine, check with your pediatrician.
If my child had COVID-19, do they still need to get a vaccine?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that everyone who can get a COVID-19 vaccine should do so, even if they’ve already had COVID-19. In general, we don’t know how long protection against the virus lasts after an infection, or how well previous infection prevents infection with some of the new variants. In our efforts to keep everyone healthy, the recommendation is to get vaccinated.
What are the benefits of vaccinating children ages 12 to 15 against COVID-19?
Vaccines are an important tool in protecting us from developing COVID-19. It is exciting that children ages 12 to 15 can now get vaccinated—and it is important that they do so. While it is true that younger people are less likely than their elders to get seriously ill and die from COVID-19, they are not immune to the virus. Children can, and have, contracted the virus, gotten seriously ill, and even died. So the first benefit of vaccination is to protect them from the virus and its complications. Additionally, we know that children can transmit the virus to others who are more at risk for serious complications. By vaccinating young teens, we can help prevent that transmission as well as protect grandparents, babysitters, and other more vulnerable people who are in their orbit.