The approval of Covid vaccines for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers is being met with mixed reaction. Some parents can’t wait to get their kids vaccinated; others wouldn’t think of it.
More than a third (38%) say they plan to wait and see how the vaccine works in other children, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey released in May (before the new vaccines were approved).
Is there any problem with waiting awhile to see what happens?
“Waiting makes a lot of sense if we weren’t in a pandemic, but the fact is that we are in a pandemic.” said Dr. Swartzberg, an expert on infectious disease at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. “Everybody’s getting Covid right now, and you want to protect your child against that. So, to wait a while means you’re leaving your child at risk for a longer period of time.”
While Covid is generally milder when kids catch it, some do get really sick. Children can also get long Covid that could impact them for months, or the rest of their lives.
“There are lots of good reasons to get vaccinated,” Dr. Swartzberg said. “Not only will it protect your child from serious illness and death, but it’s going to make your child’s life and your family’s life a lot easier when you know your child is protected.”
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Covid-19 vaccinations begin for US children under 5
U.S. begins vaccinating young children against coronavirus
