Fact Check: COVID-19 Vaccination for Kids
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Amidst the deadliest pandemic in U.S. history, the FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 is key to preventing hospitalizations and safeguarding schools. Despite safety assurances and strong effectiveness evidence, reluctance remains, underscoring the importance of dispelling concerns and prioritizing protection for this vulnerable population.
COVID-19 began spreading in December 2019, and the World Health Organization officially declared it a pandemic in March 2020. Over five million people globally have died from this disease, and the U.S. leads the world in deaths at 760,000, making COVID-19 the deadliest pandemic in U.S. history. Vaccinations to protect against the virus began in December 2020 with the Food & Drug Administration's (FDA) emergency use authorization (EUA) of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for individuals over the age of 16. In May 2021, the agency expanded the EUA to individuals 12 to 15 years of age, fully approving the vaccine for those over 16 in August 2021. On October 29, 2021, the FDA granted a EUA for children 5 to 11 years old. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued their own recommendation shortly after on November 2, 2021.
Recent polling from the Kaiser Family Foundation has shown that 27% of parents with 5 to 11-year-old children will get their children vaccinated “right away,” while 33% will “wait and see” and 30% will “definitely not” get their children vaccinated. Although a high proportion of parents are reluctant to immunize their children, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky outlined the importance of vaccinating within this age group to prevent hospitalizations, deaths, and long-term complications. In its review of clinical data, the FDA found Pfizer’s vaccine to be 90.7 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 in children 5 to 11 years old. They recommended the vaccine after its safety was supported by clinical trials including 3,100 children that resulted in no serious side effects.
As of October 29, 2021, the FDA reports that 39 percent of COVID-19 cases in individuals under 18 are children 5 to 11 years of age. In the U.S., 8,300 hospitalizations and 147 deaths resulting from COVID-19 have been reported among children in this age group. Out of about 28 million 5 to 11-year-old children in the U.S., less than one million have been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of November 10, 2021, making this age group the lowest vaccinated and the most vulnerable population currently eligible for vaccination. According to Drs. Sick-Samuels and Messina, pediatricians at Johns Hopkins University, getting children vaccinated will protect our communities, prevent deadly variants from emerging, and accelerate the safe reopening of schools. Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) is commonly cited as a concerning side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine, but Dr. Messina notes that cardiovascular complications from COVID-19 disease are much more common.
Research of COVID-19, the vaccine, and effective public health measures to combat the pandemic is ongoing. New information about the disease is discovered every day, and recommendations will be updated based on the most current data and evidence. The CDC, FDA, and trusted doctors and institutions like the Mayo Clinic, American Medical Association, Dr. Ashish Jha, and Dr. Anthony Fauci agree that kids 5 to 11 years of age should be vaccinated against COVID-19.
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References and Further Reading:
World Health Organization, WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19, March 11, 2020.
Johns Hopkins University, COVID-19 Dashboard.
Amy McKeever, COVID-19 surpasses 1918 flu as deadliest pandemic in U.S. history, September 21, 2021.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration, FDA Takes Key Action in Fight Against COVID-19 By Issuing Emergency Use Authorization for First COVID-19 Vaccine, December 11, 2020.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration, FDA Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine, August 23, 2021.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration, FDA Authorizes Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use in Children 5 through 11 Years of Age, October 29, 2021.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC Recommends Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine for Children 5 to 11 Years, November 2, 2021.
Kaiser Family Foundation, Does The Public Want To Get A COVID-19 Vaccine? When?.
The White House. Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials, November 10, 2021.
Johns Hopkins University, COVID Vaccine: What Parents Need to Know, October 28, 2021.
Allison Aubrey & Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, Some parents want to wait to vaccinate their kids. Here's why doctors say do it now, November 3, 2021.
Mayo Clinic, COVID-19 vaccines for kids: What you need to know, November 16, 2021.
Sara Berg, AMA, Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for kids 5 and up: What doctors must know, November 4, 2021.
Dr. Ashish K. Jha, Why You Should Vaccinate Your Kids Against COVID-19, October 30, 2021.
NPR Morning Edition, Dr. Fauci answers questions about children and COVID-19 vaccines, October 27, 2021.
