(HealthDay)—Parents need to know that COVID-19 shots are safe and effective for kids age 12 and older, an expert says.
If a child has symptoms that last more than two days, such as a fever of 102 degrees or higher, parents should call the doctor
There have been a dozen or so reports of heart inflammation (myocarditis) in children after getting the vaccine, but it’s not clear if there’s a direct link to the shot.
A vaccine trial with teens did not report any adverse reactions or complications, and the vaccine was found to be 100% effective in 12- to 15-year-olds—a better rate than among adults.
In the study group of 1,000 teenagers who had the vaccine, none got COVID-19 compared to 16 teens in the placebo group of 1,000 who got COVID,
Still, some parents may hesitate to get their kids vaccinated because they’ve heard that children don’t get as sick with COVID-19 or spread the virus as easily.
It is true that children are less likely to get severely ill from COVID-19 or die, but even healthy kids can get very sick and end up in the hospital,
