Ending the COVID-19 epidemic will only be possible with vaccines. There is now a vaccine for children ages 5 and up, and some older children have been given permission to receive boosters. For infants between the ages of six months and four years, vaccine trials are now underway.
The COVID-19 vaccinations have been shown in studies to be extremely effective as well as safe. This vaccination is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for both children and adults as soon as they are able to benefit from it. The rise in cases caused by the virus’s delta and omicron versions makes vaccination and booster shots even more critical now. The spread of more contagious strains and the infection of more children are both possible.
Anyone who qualifies for a vaccine should obtain one as soon as it becomes available. Even if you don’t have health insurance, you can get the COVID-19 vaccine for free. There is currently only one vaccine for COVID-19 available for children in the United States: Pfizer BioNTech mRNA. 21 days apart, two doses of the medication are administered. It is advised that children 5-11 years of age receive a lower dose of COVID than those 12 and older.
Who can get the third shot of the vaccine:
- Adolescents above the age of 16 have been granted an additional dose by federal health experts. If you are between the ages of 16 and 17, and you have already received two doses of the mRNA COVID vaccination, you should get the booster dose that is appropriate for your age group. At least six months after completing the first series, the patient should receive the booster dosage.
- With certain health issues, adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17: A third dose is already indicated for children ages 12 and older with impaired immune systems as part of the initial series. It’s hoped that the third treatment would help them build up as much resistance as possible to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID.
If you fall into one of the following categories, you should take the third dose in the primary series:
- Are undergoing active cancer therapy for tumours or blood malignancies.
- Having undergone an organ transplant and being treated with medication to suppress the immune system
- Inherit a moderate or severe immunodeficiency due to hereditary or genetic causes.
- Have advanced HIV infection that is not being treated
- Corticosteroids or other medications are known to reduce the body’s ability to fight infection.
In addition, make sure your children are up to date on any recommended vaccines, including those for measles, influenza, whooping cough, and other contagious diseases.
A COVID-19 infection in your child should be treated with caution before vaccination.
at least until they’ve recovered Following the recommended seclusion period is also a good idea. That goes for kids who get COVID-19 after receiving their first and second doses of vaccination.
Clinical trials must be completed before COVID-19 vaccinations are made available to children under the age of five. The purpose of this is to make sure that they are safe and effective for this age range. When it comes to vaccines, we can’t just assume that they will have the same effect on a youngster as on an adult.
COVID-19 vaccines have already saved hundreds of millions of U.S. adults and adolescents from serious illness, hospitalisation, and death. When our smallest children are old enough to obtain the immunizations, we hope they can participate in the activities they previously missed out on.
On the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases, Dr. James D. Campbell serves as a paediatric infectious disease specialist. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ parent resource website, HealthyChildren.org, has further information.
