AUSTIN, Texas — Children above five years old have been able to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Now, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky has endorsed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' recommendation that all children six months through five years of age should receive the shot.
"As the pandemic progressed, we saw more and more kids in this age group get affected by the subsequent wave, so the timing had come to look it at it seriously, make sure we thought it was still safe, make sure that we thought there was going to be a good result in the efficacy, and that's we are now are now," said Chief Medical Officer of Baylor Scott & White McLane Children's Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Dominic Lucia.
Some parents did have concerns about the vaccine. According to a survey in April by the Kaiser Family Foundation before the CDC recommendation, it showed four out of 10 parents were reluctant to get their children vaccinated right away.
"I think parents very reasonably, I am the same way myself, want to be cautious about anything they put into their kids bodies," said Lucia.
Lucia said the vaccine is safe and important for protection against COVID-19.
"I think, like other age groups, it's been approached thoughtfully, we have seen it overall being extremely safe, it's a tool to get us back to normal, and kids lives back to normal," Lucia.
There could be some side effects including irritation and fever.
"You are going to get a little bit of that. It's a sign that it's working. It’s short lived and temporary, certainly worth the protection you are going to get from getting the vaccine," he said.
The CDC distribution of the vaccinations for these younger children has started across the country, and it will be available at thousands of pediatric practices, pharmacies and local health departments.
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