Vaccine Safety And Eligibility
Health Canada has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty mRNA vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. All COVID-19 vaccines for adults and children follow the same review and approval process.
Like all COVID-19 vaccines in Canada, vaccines for children are free, safe and effective. When you get your child vaccinated, you protect them from severe illness from COVID-19 and reduce the spread of infection in your community.
Why Should I Vaccinate My Child
Vaccines save lives. Measles vaccines alone are estimated to have prevented over 21 million deaths between 2000 and 2017.
Vaccines will help protect your child against diseases that can cause serious harm or death, especially in people with developing immune systems like infants.
Its important to vaccinate your child. If not, highly contagious diseases such as measles, diphtheria and polio, which were once wiped out in many countries, will come back.
Q: How Extensively Has The Vaccine Been Studied In Children That Parents And Guardians Can Trust That Their Kids Will Be Safe In Getting The Vaccine
A: The vaccine has been studied extensively in children. The pediatric formulation of the Pfizer vaccine underwent robust phase one, phase two and phase three trials and then was evaluated by Health Canada. Many will know that Canada was a few weeks delayed in in approving the Pfizer vaccine for children relative to the United States. And to me that’s encouraging, it demonstrates that the Canadian process was independent and was ours. And we can be confident that this has been reviewed in depth by Health Canada and by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. This vaccine went through a robust phase one, phase two and phase three study. The same studies in fact, that were used to evaluate the adult formulation, the same type of study where a vaccine and a placebo were given to a population of a group of being studied, and the effectiveness and the side effects of those vaccines were studied. And again, what has been shown repeatedly is that this vaccine is highly effective and safe. So we can be very, very confident in the ongoing role of this vaccine to kids in our community.
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Missed A Vaccine Why You Should Catch Up
If your child has missed any of their recommended vaccines or if you are unsure talk to your child’s pediatrician or healthcare provider as soon as possible. Then, schedule an appointment for your child to receive any on-time or catch up vaccines needed.
Although each vaccine has a recommended schedule for administration, in many cases, you can pick up where you left off or use a “catch up” vaccination schedule to keep your child protected. Children in certain high-risk groups may require an adjusted vaccine schedule. Talk to your child’s pediatrician about the best way to resume your child’s vaccinations and how to help your family stay on-target in the future.
Learn more about what CHOP is doing to provide care safely and on time while ensuring the ongoing health of your child and our communities at large beyond this current pandemic.
When Children Will Be Offered The Covid
Children can get a 1st dose of the vaccine from the day they turn 12.
Most children can get a 2nd dose from 12 weeks after they had their 1st dose.
If your child has tested positive for COVID-19 and is not at high risk from COVID-19, they need to wait 12 weeks before they can have a COVID-19 vaccine.
This starts from the date of their positive PCR test.
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What About Side Effects
Vaccines, like any medicine, can cause side effects.
Most reactions are mild and donât last very long. Your child may:
- Be fussy
- Feel sore or have red skin where they got the shot
- Have a mild fever
Some kids also get swollen lymph nodes and joint pain. This type of reaction usually goes away without treatment. But make sure you call the doctor if it happens.
Serious problems from vaccines are rare. Call your childâs doctor right away if you notice the following after a vaccination:
- A lot of swelling where they got the shot
- Rash
- High fever
Will My Childs Pediatrician Have The Vaccine
It’s a good idea to call your childâs doctor to see if they have COVID-19 vaccines for younger children, Goza says.
âI think that is really where pediatricians will come in — talking about the vaccine, getting parents more comfortable about the vaccine, and then being able to give the vaccine,â she says.
But not all pediatricians will have vaccines right away, as the Pfizer shot requires special refrigeration, not to mention that pediatrics offices are typically busy this time of year anyway.
The pharmacy is another great option, says Eric Ascher, DO, a family medicine doctor at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
âPharmacists are well-trained in vaccine administration,â he says.
âThey are also well-trained if in the very rare event something happens. In fact, in the hospital, when a patient has a medication or vaccine side effect, the pharmacy team is the first group bedside, alongside the physician, to help treat the patient.â
If parents are hesitant to take their 5- to 11-year-old to a pharmacy to get a COVID-19 vaccine, they should raise any questions or concerns with their pharmacist, says Danielle M. Zerr, MD, division chief of pediatric infectious disease at the University of Washington..
âWhatâs key is the vaccinatorâs experience in administering vaccines to children,â she says. âThis is a question that parents can ask of the pharmacy.â
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What To Do If You Move
If you move to another province or territory, your child’s vaccination schedule may change. Once you have moved, contact your new health care provider or local public health office. They will tell you which vaccines may be needed in that province or territory.
Remember to take your child’s vaccination record to the appointment with you.
Very Rare Side Effects
There have been extremely rare reports of inflammation of the heart after COVID-19 vaccination. Most people who had this recovered following rest and simple treatments.
Go to A& E or call 999 if your child has any of these symptoms within a few days of being vaccinated:
- chest pain
- a fast-beating, fluttering or pounding heart
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How The Vaccines Are Studied And Tested For Children And Youth
The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were tested in youth through clinical trials. The Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty vaccine was also tested in children. These clinical trials compared the immune response, safety and effectiveness of the vaccine to a placebo. In these studies:
- no safety issues were detected
- the vaccine provided very good protection against COVID-19 in the couple months after vaccination
Learn more about:
If Your Child Can’t Be Vaccinated
Some children may not be able to get some vaccines, including those with:
- specific medical conditions
- severe allergic reactions to vaccine ingredients
Examples include children who need to take high-dose steroids or who have a weakened immune system from cancer treatment . These children may need to avoid vaccines that contain a weakened live virus, such as measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.
These children are at risk of getting the disease that the vaccine would have prevented.
Talk to your health care provider or local public health authority if you have any concerns about your child’s health status and vaccines.
If your child can’t be vaccinated, you can help protect them by encouraging others to get vaccinated. This will help prevent the spread of disease to your child.
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Vaccines For Your Young Children
During the early years of life, your children need vaccines to protect them from 14 diseases that can be serious and sometimes life-threatening. Parents who choose not to vaccinate their children increase the risk of disease not only for their own children, but also for other children and adults throughout the entire community. For example, vulnerable newborns too young to receive the maximum protection of vaccines or people with weakened immune systems, such as transplant recipients or some people with cancer, are also at higher risk of disease.
Flu vaccines are recommended for children 6 months and older. Getting the flu vaccine for yourself and your children can help protect infants younger than 6 months old who are too young to be vaccinated. Ask your health care provider about getting a yearly flu vaccine to protect against flu.Parents can find out what vaccines their children need and when by reviewing CDCs recommended Childhood Immunization Schedule.
Children In Licensed Daycare Centres
If you want your child to attend daycare, and decide not to vaccinate them due to medical, religious or philosophical reasons, you will need to give your daycare a valid written exemption. If the disease appears in your childs daycare centre, your child may have to stay out of daycare until the disease is no longer present.
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How Will I Know If My Child Is Having Serious Side Effects
âIf the child complains of chest pain or shortness of breath, or your child does not appear the way they normally would, call your pediatrician,â Ascher says.
COVID-19 vaccine side effects for kids ages 5 to 11 will likely be similar, if not milder, than those seen in adults, according to Pavia.
âSore arms are very common,â he says. âSome children may experience fatigue, chills, muscle aches, or fever. These side effects were somewhat less common in children 5 to 11 years old than in teens and young adults.â
âMost often, these side effects last less than 24 hours, but may last a bit longer,â he says.
Overall, parents should trust their instincts, says Zerr.
âIf you are worried, call your childâs primary care provider,â she says. âAlso, the CDC has some helpful information here.â
The CDC also has a free smartphone tool, called V-SAFE, that offers you personalized health check-ins after getting vaccinated and lets you tell the CDC of any symptoms youâre having.
Based on your answers, the CDC could give you a call with information on next steps you could take to address your concerns.
Why Vaccinations Are Important For Kids And The Community
Vaccinations throughout childhood are essential to protect young lives. Vaccines help provide immunity to children before they are exposed to potentially harmful diseases like hepatitis B, measles, mumps, polio and more. All vaccines are extensively tested and approved for use by the CDC.
Researchers at CHOP and around the world have repeatedly proven that vaccines are safe and effective for children and the public. The more people that receive a specific vaccine, the greater likelihood of developing “herd immunity,” which protects everyone in the community even medically vulnerable people who cannot safely receive the vaccine.
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Why Get Caught Up Now On Vaccinations
Ensuring every child receives vaccines for preventable diseases is essential. If a group of babies and young children fall behind on their vaccines, these diseases will have an opportunity to reemerge, causing outbreaks and potential deaths in our communities once again.
In April 2020, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agreed routine vaccinations should be prioritized for children younger than 2 years of age and should be given to children and teens during annual well visits or during visits for minor illnesses.
What Diseases Do Vaccines Prevent
Vaccines protect your child against serious illnesses like polio, which can cause paralysis measles, which can cause brain swelling and blindness and tetanus, which can cause painful muscle contractions and difficulty eating and breathing, especially in newborns. For a list of the most common vaccines and the diseases they prevent, see this list of the most common vaccines and the diseases they prevent.
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Book The Best Appointment For Your Child
After you register, you’ll get invited to book an appointment. Booking online or by phone is easy, convenient and guarantees your vaccination at the clinic. Health authorities are operating child-friendly clinics, with extended hours after school and in the evenings.
You can bring your child to get vaccinated when you get your booster dose. You must both have an appointment.
Preparing Your Child For Vaccines
Getting a vaccine can be stressful for some children. With some preparation and kid-friendly explanation, parents can help to make vaccine visits easier and less stressful. Talk to your health care provider or health unit if you have any questions about the vaccine your child will receive.
Prepare your child before the visit. Be honest. Explain that shots can pinch or sting, but that it wont hurt for long. Tell your child that vaccines are important to keep them healthy.
For younger children
- Hold your child or cuddle them on your lap.
- Use distractions like toys, bubbles, and books.
For older children
- Older children can use distractions like games, books, music, and talking about something unrelated to the vaccination. Deep breathing and/or counting, as well as keeping the arm relaxed and still may help to make the shot easier.
- For children getting their shots at school clinics, tell them to let the nurse know if they feel nervous about getting vaccinated or if they feel faint or light-headed before, during, or after the vaccination. The clinic staff can help them through the process.
Ask your health care provider or local public health unit about using topical anesthetics .
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Your Child’s Vaccination Schedule
Vaccination schedules are carefully studied and designed to give the best possible protection for children against serious diseases.
Canadians should consult with their health care provider or public health authority to determine when they should visit, and learn about the measures that have been put in place to safely deliver immunization services during COVID-19.
Vaccination schedules can vary slightly, depending on the province or territory you live in. This means that some provinces or territories will vaccinate at a different age.
Typically, your child will be vaccinated:
- between birth to 2 months
- at 4 months
- between 12 months and 18 months
- between 4 to 6 years of age
For some of the vaccines, your child will require more than 1 dose at different times. This is needed because for some vaccines, the first dose does not provide as much immunity as possible.
More than 1 dose is needed to build more complete immunity. The DTaP-IPV-Hib vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and Haemophilus influenzae type B, is an example.
In other cases, the initial series of shots that children receive as part of their infant immunizations helps them build immunity. After a while, however, that immunity begins to wear off.
At this point, a “booster” dose is needed to bring immunity levels back up. The MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, is a good example.
Why Are Meningococcal Vaccines Recommended
Meningococcal disease is caused by a type of bacteria. It can lead to an infection of the bloodstream or meningitis, or both, and can be life-threatening if not quickly treated. The MenACWY vaccine is very effective at protecting against four strains of the bacteria, while the MenB vaccine protects against a fifth strain.
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How Soon Can My Child Get The Covid
Many pediatricians have already pre-ordered the vaccine and will likely have it ready to go, says Sara âSallyâ Goza, MD, a pediatrician in Fayetteville, GA, and immediate past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
But it will still probably vary by site, according to Andrew Pavia, MD, a pediatric infectious disease expert at the University of Utah Health and Intermountain Primary Childrenâs Hospital.
âLarger clinics and childrenâs hospitals will be in the first group to be ready to provide the vaccine,â he says.
Various other COVID-19 vaccination sites stand ready to distribute the new childrenâs vaccine as well.
Viral Solutions, a drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination and testing site with locations across Georgia, says it could give children ages 5 to 11 COVID-19 shots as early as Thursday.
If My Child Or I Have Covid When Can We Get Our Vaccine Or Booster Shot
As Omicron cases soar along Australia’s east coast, many people are faced with having to re-book their vaccination appointments.
If you or your child test positive for COVID, you clearly can’t go to the vaccination or booster appointment you had this week. So, when can you go?
There are no hard and fast answers on this although there is some guidance, this question is still under current consideration by Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation .
But here are some general principles to help guide your decision-making.
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If You Have Multiple Children They Each Need An Appointment
You can take more than 1 child to get vaccinated at once. They each need to have their own appointment for the same day and same clinic, but the appointments don’t need to be at the same time. You can arrive at the clinic at any of the appointment times you booked, and all family members will be vaccinated at the same time.
For example, if you have 2 children that you would like to get vaccinated after school on December 16:
- Book 1 appointment for 3:30 pm on December 16
- Book another appointment at any available time at the same clinic on December 16
- Take both children to the appointment at 3:30 pm