MIAMI — Should kids get vaccinated against COVID-19?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is the official health agency of the United States, recommends everyone 5 and older get vaccinated against the disease to help keep them and others safe. So does the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Many doctors across the country have also been recommending vaccinations.
However, Florida Department of Health Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced Monday during a roundtable discussion on COVID-19 mitigation policies that the state will no longer be recommending COVID-19 vaccines for healthy kids. He said it would be the first recommendation of its kind in the country.
Multiple speakers said that one of the reasons kids don’t need vaccines is because of natural immunity since many schoolchildren had already been infected with COVID-19, according to the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau.
The decision pits Florida — again — against the CDC. The policy difference also puts parents in a difficult position: Should you follow the recommendations of the CDC? Or follow Florida’s health department?
Here’s a guide to frequently asked questions on what the CDC says about COVID-19 vaccines for kids. Details about Florida’s new guidelines are still scarce. And if you have any questions, speak with your child’s pediatrician.
—Are COVID vaccines safe and effective for kids?
COVID vaccines are safe for kids, according to the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. All of the ingredients in the vaccines are safe and can be found in many foods, including fats, sugars and salt, according to the CDC.
—Why should kids get a COVID vaccine and booster? What age can they get a shot?
The CDC recommends that everyone ages 5 and older get a vaccine to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the risk of severe illness. Kids 12 and older can also get a booster. There are no COVID-19 vaccines available yet for kids under 5, although vaccines are in the works.
In Florida, 372,536 children ages 5 to 11 have gotten at least one dose of a COVID vaccine, Florida health department data shows. That’s about 22% of the state’s 5 to 11 population.
—Are there kids who should not get a COVID vaccine?
Kids under 5 cannot get a COVID-19 vaccine. Your children should also not get the vaccine if they have previously had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in the vaccine or if they had a severe allergic reaction after receiving a previous dose of the vaccine, the FDA says.
People with certain conditions, including being immunocompromised or having myocarditis or pericarditis should also speak with their vaccine provider before getting a shot, according to the FDA. And if you’re not sure, ask your doctor.
You can find the ingredients for Pfizer’s vaccine on the FDA and CDC’s website.
—How does COVID affect children?
Like adults, some kids who get COVID-19 will experience symptoms while others will be asymptomatic. Most kids who fall ill with the disease will recover. However, some do get seriously ill and get hospitalized. Some have died.
“In fact, COVID-19 ranks as one of the top 10 causes of death for children ages 5 through 11 years,” according to the CDC.
In Florida, more than 804,000 kids younger than 16 have had COVID-19, according to Florida health department data. Forty-two of those kids died.
The CDC says kids with underlying medical conditions, including obesity, diabetes and asthma are at higher risk for severe illness.
While rare, some kids who get COVID-19 later develop Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome, or MIS-C, a serious condition associated with COVID-19 that can cause different body parts to become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys and brain. The CDC says it doesn’t know what causes MIS-C yet but that many kids diagnosed with it either had COVID or had been around someone with COVID-19. While MIS-C can be deadly, most kids diagnosed with this condition recover after getting medical care.
“Additionally, children and teens ages 18 years and younger who have COVID-19 are up to 2.5 times more likely to be newly diagnosed with diabetes 30 days or more after infection,” according to the CDC.
—Are side effects normal? What are they?
Some kids might experience side effects such as fever, nausea and pain in the area around the shot. The CDC says these side effects are normal signs that your body is building protection and should go away within a few days.
There have been some cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart) in male adolescents and young adults, often after the second dose.
“These reports are rare and the known and potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks, including the possible risk of myocarditis or pericarditis,” the CDC says.
—Could vaccines affect my child’s fertility in the future?
The CDC says there is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause fertility problems.
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