When will kids get vaccinated for COVID-19?

Millions of people in the U.S. already received their COVID-19 vaccines, but many parents are still wondering when their kids will receive the vaccine.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already approved vaccines for adults, but for children, there is no approval since clinical trials for children and teenagers younger than 16 have not yet been completed.

Dr. Aaron Milstone, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine professor of Pediatrics, stated that before the younger age group may receive the vaccine, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must accept the results of the clinical trials, which must state that the vaccine is safe for children and younger teens.

Johns Hopkins experts revealed in a news release that authorisation for COVID-19 vaccines in children above the age of 12 may come by early summer or late spring. However, for children under the age of 12, parents may have to wait for a longer period as experts stated that it could either be in late 2021 or in 2022.

They also stated that the time when children will receive the jab will also depend on vaccine availability. As of the moment, the distribution of vaccines depends on priority. This shows that those who do not belong to the priority group may receive the jab at a later date.

Pfizer already received authorisation for use on 16 years old and above. with younger participants between the ages of 12 and 15 enrolled in the clinical trials. On the other hand, Moderna has authorisation for 18 years old and above.

Experts state that the best way for parents to be able to reduce the chance of children catching COVID-19 is to follow health protocols. Social distancing, hand washing, and wearing of face masks are among those that parents and children must observe.

Kids wearing face masks

For those who will be vaccinated, the CDC warned people of possible side effects that they may experience. The most common of which are pain and swelling in the arm. Throughout the rest of the body, persons vaccinated may also experience fever, chills, tiredness, and headache.