The just-approved Covid vaccines for the youngest Americans, age 6 months to 5 years old are now available, and the CDC “recommends” them for all children in this age group – even if they’ve had Covid-19.
Parents have a choice between Moderna and Pfizer. Both use smaller doses than with other age groups. The Moderna vaccine for infants and preschoolers is a quarter of the amount that an adult would get. With Pfizer, it’s about a tenth of the adult dose.
Dr. John Swartzberg, an expert on infectious disease at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, said both are effective at preventing serious illness and hospitalization – and they are safe.
“There were no serious reactions in the over 10,000 people studied with either of the vaccines,” he said.
With the Moderna vaccine, you child gets two dozes spaced four weeks apart. With Pfizer, it’s a three-dose series. The second shot is three weeks after the first. The third shot comes at least eight weeks later. The third shot is not a booster, it’s just part of the primary series.
As with any vaccine, some children will have a reaction. While nothing serious turned up in the testing, there were more reactions in the kids who got the Moderna vaccine, Dr. Swartzberg told me.
‘With the Moderna vaccine about one in five kids got a fever, and body aches were a little bit worse,” he said. “Again, not tremendously different, but probably because of the larger dose, Moderna produced a few more side effects.”
“Bottom line: Both are very safe,” Dr. Swartzberg said.
The CDC wants parents to know that children can get their Covid shot at the same time they get other vaccines.
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Youngest Americans can start getting COVID-19 vaccines Tuesday. Here’s what every parent should know.
What to Know About the Covid Vaccine for Little Kids
