PEDIATRIC COVID VACCINATIONS

Who SHOULD GET COVID VACCINATION

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is recommended for people aged 12 years and older.

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Who should not get vaccinated

If you have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) or an immediate allergic reaction, even if it was not severe:

  • to any ingredient in an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (such as polyethylene glycol), you should not get an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.*

  • or after getting the first dose of the vaccine, you should not get a second dose of either of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

  • An allergic reaction is considered severe when a person needs to be treated with epinephrine or EpiPen© or if they must go to the hospital. Learn about common side effects of COVID-19 vaccines and when to call a doctor.

  • An immediate allergic reaction means a reaction within 4 hours of getting vaccinated, including symptoms such as hives, swelling, or wheezing (respiratory distress).

If you aren’t able to get an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, you may still be able to get a different type of COVID-19 vaccine. Learn more information for people with allergies.

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Possible Side Effects

In the arm where you got the shot:

  • Pain

  • Redness

  • Swelling

Throughout the rest of your body:

  • Tiredness

  • Headache

  • Muscle pain

  • Chills

  • Fever

  • Nausea

These side effects usually start within a day or two of getting the vaccine. Side effects might affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days.

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Other Authorized covid vaccinations

You should get the first COVID-19 vaccine that is available to you. Do not wait for a specific brand. All currently authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and CDC does not recommend one vaccine over another.

These other vaccinations are not currently available for children 12-15 years of age.

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Safety data

In clinical trials, reactogenicity symptoms (side effects that happen within 7 days of getting vaccinated) were common but were mostly mild to moderate.

  • Side effects (such as fever, chills, tiredness, and headache) throughout the body were more common after the second dose of the vaccine.

  • Most side effects were mild to moderate. However, a small number of people had severe side effects—defined as side effects affecting a person’s ability to do daily activities.

  • Although few people in the clinical trials went to the hospital or died, data suggest that people who got the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were less likely to have these more serious outcomes compared to people who got the saline placebo.

  • CDC will continue to provide updates as we learn more about the safety of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in real-world conditions.

For more information see the Emergency Use Authorization Form for Recipients and Caregivers

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How well it works

Based on evidence from clinical trials, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 95% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in people without evidence of previous infection.

  • CDC will continue to provide updates as we learn more about how well the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine works in real-world conditions.

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How do i sign up?

Other Options For Vaccination

A full list of pharmacies providing the vaccine can be found here.

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