PARENTS & FAMILIES

Yes. The vaccines are safe for children in this age group.

• Tens of millions of children and teens ages 5 through 17 years have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
• Through continued safety monitoring, COVID-19 vaccination has been found safe for children and teens.

Learn more about vaccine safety here.

Possible side effects among children after COVID-19 vaccination may include:

• Soreness at the injection site
• Headaches
• Muscle aches
• Low-grade fevers

These side effects may affect your child’s ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Some children have no side effects.

The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks of getting COVID-19 disease.

Unlike many medications, COVID-19 vaccine dosage does not vary by patient weight but by age on the day of vaccination. This is also true for other routinely recommended vaccines, like flu or hepatitis vaccines.

However, the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 through 11 has the same active ingredients as the vaccines given to adults and teens. But, the vaccine for children comes in a different vial with a different color cap to easily separate it from the adult/teen one.

Like adults and teens, children will need a second shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at least three weeks after their first shot.

If a child experiences a severe allergic reaction, vaccine providers can quickly treat it and call for emergency medical services if needed.

If you are pregnant or were recently pregnant, you are more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19 compared to people who are not pregnant. Pregnancy causes changes in the body that could make it easier to get very sick from respiratory viruses like the one that causes COVID-19. These changes in the body can continue after pregnancy.

Severe illness means that the person with COVID-19 may need:

• Hospitalization
• Admission into an intensive care unit (ICU)
• A ventilator or special equipment to help them breathe

Other factors can further increase the risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 during or recently after pregnancy, such as:

• Having certain underlying medical conditions
• Being older than 25 years
• Living or working in a community with high numbers of COVID-19 cases
• Living or working in a community with low levels of COVID-19 vaccination
• Working in places where it is difficult or not possible to keep at least 6 feet apart from people who might be sick
• Being part of some racial and ethnic minority groups, which have been put at increased risk of getting sick from COVID-19 because of the health inequities they face

Yes. Getting the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters, is recommended for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future.

If you have questions about getting vaccinated, talking with your healthcare professional might help, but it is not required. You can also contact MotherToBaby, a free and confidential service with experts available to answer questions in English or Spanish by phone or chat. They are available Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm (local time). To reach MotherToBaby:

• Call 1-866-626-6847
• Chat live or send an email MotherToBaby

• Limit in-person interactions with people who might have been exposed to COVID-19.
• If you or someone in your household is sick with COVID-19, follow CDC guidance for isolation.
• Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.
• Keep all your healthcare appointments during and after pregnancy.
• Talk to your healthcare professional about staying healthy and taking care of yourself and the baby.
• Get recommended vaccines during pregnancy, including the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Call your healthcare professional if you have any concerns about your pregnancy, if you get sick, or if you think you may have COVID-19.
• Do not delay getting emergency care because of worries about getting COVID-19.
• Seek medical care immediately if you experience any urgent maternal warning signs and symptoms. (For example, a headache that won’t go away, dizziness, fever, severe swelling of the hand, face, arm, or leg, trouble breathing, chest pain or fast-beating heart, severe nausea and throwing up, or vaginal bleeding or discharge during or after pregnancy)

People with COVID-19 during pregnancy are more likely to experience complications that can affect their pregnancy and developing baby compared to people without COVID-19 during pregnancy. For example, COVID-19 during pregnancy increases the risk of delivering a preterm (earlier than 37 weeks) or stillborn infant. People with COVID-19 during pregnancy may also be more likely to have other pregnancy complications.