COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids Ages 5-11 | Duke Health

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use in children ages 5 – 11, and Duke Health pediatricians recommend they receive the vaccine. We don’t know yet when the vaccine will be authorized for use in children younger than 5. While most children do not get seriously ill from COVID, they can get sick and that can impact their ability to participate in school and sports. Duke pediatrician Jennifer DeCoste-Lopez, MD, says some of her patients who have lost their sense of taste and smell have struggled with weight loss because they aren’t interested in eating anymore. The Pfizer vaccine will be given to this age group in two doses, three weeks apart. Your child will be fully vaccinated two weeks after completing the second dose. When masks and other public health measures will no longer be required will be dictated by the presence of COVID in our community. Right now, it’s too early to tell if children will need boosters, but we do know that the risk of any negative long-term effects from the vaccine is very small. The vaccines do not stay in the body. Rather, they are like an instructor that teaches the body how to recognize a certain virus. Hundreds of thousands of teens have gotten the vaccine with no problem. If you have questions, talk to your doctor. Getting vaccinated is the best tool to help us get past this pandemic.