When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, children’s lives were upended. Many schools had lockdowns, causing an unprecedented disruption in learning that many children are still feeling the repercussions of today. The light at the end of the tunnel for many was that a vaccine for kids was on the horizon — eventually.
Unlike the speedy vaccine roll-out that happened for adults, nearly a year and a half into the pandemic, vaccines were still only accessible for children under the age of 12. Parents of young children frequently felt left behind and still practiced social distancing like it was 2020 while their non-parent peers resumed their lives again. It wasn’t until summer 2022 when vaccines were available to young children between six months and five years of age.
Today, vaccines are still on the market for children over the age of six months, including a new COVID-19 shot that became available across the country in mid-September and is formulated to target the most prevalent variants currently circulating. Upon its rollout, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended everyone over the age of six months to get vaccinated with the new booster that was developed to address waning protection and prevent against future strains (the new booster contains coverage against the XBB.1.5 strain and its children, EG.5 and BA.2.86).
However, at the end of October, nearly a month after it became available, the CDC shared data showing that only 7 percent of adults and 2 percent of children under the age of 17 had received the new shot. Looking at the data more closely, only 1.4 percent of children between the ages of 6 months and four years had received the vaccine; and only 2.2 percent of kids between five and 11 years of age.
Data from the same survey showed that parental intent to vaccinate their kids was “mixed.” Only 26.4 percent of parents of unvaccinated children between the ages of 6 months and four years of age said they would “definitely” get their kids vaccinated, while 35 percent were on the fence and 40 percent said they definitely wouldn’t.
“I have been terribly dismayed to see children not benefiting from the protection that vaccination can offer,” Dr. Kelly Moore, president of Immunize.org (a nonprofit organization that works to increase vaccination rates and is funded by te CDC) told Salon in a phone interview. “When you see the hospitalizations or deaths that do occur, this might have been prevented.”
The data highlighted an ongoing, and disconcerting, trend: since the roll-out for kids, relatively few kids are getting vaccinated against COVID-19. In May 2023, over a year after the vaccine was available for those over the age of six months, only 13 percent of kids between six months and 4 years-old had received at least one dose of the vaccine. Yet in terms of preventable pediatric deaths, COVID-19 remains one of the highest when compared to other diseases.
Why is it that so few children are getting vaccinated? First, Moore emphasized that the recent numbers presented by the CDC are likely quite low — for both adults and children — because it only captures a month after the rollout. Then, there’s the issue of accessibility.
“Vaccination among children is a little harder to access, going to a pediatrician’s office instead of many families being able to go to a pharmacy, like they can as an adult,” Moore said. “Also, the immunization schedule for the youngest children has been quite complicated for COVID.”
Indeed, dosage and timing depends on the age of the child and the vaccine. For children between six months and four years of age, multiple doses are still required — the exact number depends on if a child is at a higher risk for severe infection or not. As opposed to just one dose for those five and older. As Moore alluded to, the vaccinations require a bigger effort from parents of young kids, who might not have the time to figure out when or how to get their children vaccinated.
Another reason why so few parents are vaccinating their children is because of a widespread belief that children handle COVID-19 well, and aren’t at risk for severe disease. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that while older people are more likely to die from COVID-19, the coronavirus is one of the top 10 causes of death for children between the ages of 5 and 11-years-old. More than 1,500 kids under the age of 17 have died of the disease — many who had no underlying health conditions.
When it comes to COVID-19, Moore said it’s important to “stay humble.”
“There are still things we don't know about this virus, when it comes to our understanding of COVID and what it's capable of doing to people of any age,” Moore said. “If you're going to make assumptions, then make them on the safe side.”
Indeed, while deaths are relatively low for children from COVID-19, they still happen. Then there is also the issue with long-COVID. Studies have previously estimated up to 25% of children infected with the coronavirus could develop long COVID. A more recent systematic review estimates that long COVID affects 16% of children and adolescents. To make matters worse, many doctors warn there aren't enough clinics to treat these kids.
Vaccine misinformation could be driving low vaccination rates as well. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) survey published in summer 2021, a large majority of parents said they were “very” or “somewhat” concerned that not enough is known about the long term effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. Some of the parents cited concerns about their children’s fertility. Misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines and fertility has been disproved multiple times.
When asked what needs to be done to get more children vaccinated, Moore said “simplifying access” should be a priority. Anecdotally, there have been stories of pediatricians not having the vaccine or some even holding off on recommending it unless a child is considered high-risk. Moreover, the general rollout of the vaccine this year was deeply chaotic and confusing, leaving some patients in the lurch, while folks in other countries may not have access to vaccines at all.
“I have a lot of compassion for parents of young children right now, who are juggling so many different things, and arranging another doctor's visit on top of your job and everything else you have to do is just really hard,” Moore said. “It can be tempting to not think it's worth it, and I think we on the public health side, and in the medical community, we need to do more to make it easier for families.”
