US Gives Nod To Kid-Size Pfizer's COVID-19 Shot; Side Effects and Other Details of COVID Vaccines for Kids

According to the data provided by the government, in the U.S., there have been more than 8,300 coronavirus-related hospitalizations of kids ages 5 to 11, about a third requiring intensive care.

US Gives Nod To Kid-Size Pfizer's COVID-19 Shot; Side Effects and Other Details of COVID Vaccines for Kids

Vaccines are the only way to keep the deadly coronavirus out of the body or from further transmission. So far vaccines were available for people above 5, but now your little ones will also get the jab. In a recent development, the U.S. health officials gave the final signoff to Pfizer's kid-size COVID-19 shot, a milestone that opens a major expansion of the nation's vaccination campaign to children as young as 5. The Food and Drug Administration already authorized the shots for children ages 5 to 11 doses just a third of the amount given to teens and adults. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommends who should receive FDA-cleared vaccines.

COVID Vaccines for Kids

The decision comes hours after an advisory panel unanimously decided Pfizer's shots should be opened to the 28 million youngsters in that age group. The nod to make Pfizer shots available for the kids marks the first opportunity for Americans under 12 to get the powerful protection of any COVID-19 vaccine.

According to the data provided by the government, in the U.S., there have been more than 8,300 coronavirus-related hospitalizations of kids ages 5 to 11, about a third requiring intensive care. The CDC has recorded at least 94 deaths in that age group, with additional reports under investigation.

And while the U.S. has seen a recent downturn in COVID-19 cases, experts are worried about another uptick with holiday travel and as winter sends more activity indoors where it's easier for the coronavirus to spread.

Pfizer For Kids How Effective Is The Jab?

In a study, Pfizer revealed that they have found the kid-size vaccine is nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 -- based on 16 diagnoses among kids given dummy shots compared to just three who got the real vaccination. The vaccine prevented the severity of kids who were infected with COVDI-19 and had mild symptoms like fever, loss of smell and taste, headache, etc.

What About The Side Effects of The Vaccine?

The study also stated that after taking Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine shots are safe but it comes with some mild side effects. Here is a list:

• Sore Arms
• Fever
• Body ache
• Muscle pain
• Mild headache

However, talking about the severe side effects which the older group experienced after taking the jab, the vaccine maker said, "The study wasn't large enough to detect any extremely rare side effects, such as the heart inflammation that occasionally occurs after the second full-strength dose, mostly in young men and teen boys."

Is There Any Risk?

Talking about the risks of getting the jab, some of CDC's advisers said that for some parents, deciding to get their children vaccinated may hinge on that small but scary risk. "The risk of some sort of bad heart involvement is much higher if you get COVID than if you get this vaccine," Dr. Matthew Oster, a pediatric cardiologist at Emory University, told the panel. "COVID is much riskier to the heart."

(With inputs from Agencies)