What You Need to Know

• CDC recommends everyone ages 6 months and older get vaccinated against COVID-19.
• Everyone 5 years and older should also get a COVID-19 booster, if eligible.
• Use CDC’s COVID-19 booster tool to learn if and when your child or teen can get boosters to stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.

COVID-19 Vaccine Dosage Is Based on Age on the Day of Vaccination, Not on Size or Weight

Children get a smaller dose of COVID-19 vaccine than teens and adults that is the right amount for their age group.

COVID-19 primary series vaccination for children and teens

Children and Teens Who Have Already Had COVID-19 Should Still Get Vaccinated

Emerging evidence indicates that people can get added protection by getting vaccinated after having been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Even if a child has had COVID-19, they should still get vaccinated. For children who have been infected with COVID-19, their next dose can be delayed 3 months from when symptoms started or, if they did not have symptoms, when they received a positive test. This possible delay can happen with a primary dose or a booster dose.

COVID-19 Vaccines and Other Vaccines Can Be Given at the Same Visit

Children and teens may get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including a flu vaccine, at the same time.

Should children get a COVID-19 booster?

Everyone ages 5 years and older should get a COVID-19 booster, if eligible.

Children ages 12 years and older who have a weakened immune system should also get a 2nd booster, when eligible.

How does COVID-19 vaccine dosage work for children and teens?

COVID-19 vaccine dosage is based on age on the day of vaccination, not on size or weight. Children receive a smaller, age-appropriate dose.

Which vaccine should parents and caregivers of children ages 6 months through 4 years get for their child? Pfizer or Moderna?

Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for children are safe and effective. Parents and caregivers should get their child vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine that is available to them.

Where can I get a COVID-19 vaccine for my child or teen?

Parents and caregivers can use vaccines.gov to find doctor’s offices, local pharmacies, healthcare clinics, and local health departments where the COVID-19 vaccine for children who are eligible is available. This free resource provides accurate and up-to-date information about vaccination services in your area. You can also text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you in the U.S.

Does a parent or guardian have to give consent before a child or teen can receive a COVID-19 vaccine?

There is no federal legal requirement for a parent, guardian, or caregiver to consent for COVID-19 or any other vaccination. However, this does not mean that consent is not required for select age groups. State or local laws and policies, as well as vaccine provider policies, around minor consent for vaccination have existed for a long time and will also apply to COVID-19 vaccination of children.

Are COVID-19 vaccines for children and teens free?

Yes, COVID-19 vaccines are available for everyone 6 months and older at no cost. COVID-19 vaccines will continue to be given to all eligible people living in the United States, regardless of insurance or immigration status. While a vaccination site may ask to see your health insurance card, it is not required for your child to receive a vaccine.

Will children receive a vaccine card?

Yes, all vaccine recipients will receive a CDC COVID-19 vaccination card upon initial vaccination. Parents should take a photo of the card and then keep it in a safe place.

Are the COVID-19 vaccines for children the same ones that are given to adults?

The COVID-19 vaccines for children have the same active ingredients as the vaccines given to adults. However, children receive a smaller, age-appropriate dose that is the right size for them. The smaller doses were rigorously tested and found to create the needed immune response for each age group. Your child should get the vaccine made for their age group.

What You Need to Know

• COVID-19 can make children and teens of any age very sick and can sometimes require treatment in a hospital. Some children and teens have even died from COVID-19.
• The benefit of COVID-19 vaccines, like other vaccines, is that those vaccinated get protection without risking the potentially serious consequences of getting sick with COVID-19.
• Help protect children from severe disease, hospitalization, or death by getting them vaccinated against COVID-19.

Help Protect Your Child

COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool to help protect everyone 6 months and older from COVID-19 and its complications.

Getting children and teens vaccinated against COVID-19 can help keep them from getting really sick if they do get COVID-19. Vaccinating children can also help relieve the strain on families by providing greater confidence in children participating in childcare, school, and other activities.

After vaccination, continue to follow all current prevention measures recommended by CDC and based on latest COVID-19 Community Level data. Learn more about protecting your family from COVID-19. 

Impact of COVID-19 in Children and Teens

Just like adults, children and teens of all ages can:

• Get very sick from COVID-19
• Have both short- and long-term health problems
• Spread COVID-19 to others

There is no way to tell in advance how children or teens will be affected by COVID-19. Those with underlying medical conditions or who have a weakened immune system are more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. Some examples of conditions that can make children more likely to get severe COVID-19 include:

• Asthma or chronic lung disease
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Sickle cell disease

However, those without underlying medical conditions can also experience severe illness and be hospitalized. In fact, approximately 1 in 3 children younger than 18 years old hospitalized with COVID-19 have no underlying conditions.

Read the data about risk factors for severe COVID-19 in children published in Pediatrics, childhood COVID-19-related hospitalizations published in MMWR, and weekly summaries of COVID-19 hospitalization data through COVID-NET.

Vaccination Helps Prevent Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Associated with COVID-19

Children and teens who get COVID-19 can develop serious complications like multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). MIS-C is a condition where different body parts become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, thousands of cases of MIS-C have been reported. Children ages 5 through 11 years are most frequently affected by MIS-C, with almost half of all reported cases occurring in children in this age group. In addition, Hispanic or Latino and non-Hispanic Black children are disproportionately affected by MIS-C.

COVID-19 vaccination reduced the likelihood of MIS-C in children ages 12 through 18 years by 91%. Data from July to December 2021 show that 95% of children ages 12 through 18 years hospitalized with MIS-C were not vaccinated. CDC is collecting data on how well COVID-19 vaccination works against MIS-C in younger children. As more children under 12 years old get vaccinated, CDC will be able to analyze and share those data.

Children and Teens Can Experience Ongoing Health Problems after COVID-19

After getting COVID-19, children and teens can also experience a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems. These include physical and mental health complications that may occur four or more weeks after initial infection. These complications can appear after mild or severe COVID-19, or after MIS-C.

Symptoms that children and teens may experience after COVID-19 are like those seen in adults and include:

• Fatigue
• Cough
• Muscle and joint pain
• Headache
• Trouble falling or staying asleep
• Trouble concentrating

Post-COVID symptoms can affect quality of life, including:

• Limitations in physical activity
• Feeling distressed about symptoms
• Mental health challenges
• Decreased school or daycare attendance
• Missed opportunities for participation in sports, playdates, or other activities

Learn more about post-COVID conditions.

Why should children 6 months and older get vaccinated against COVID-19?

Children who get COVID-19 can get very sick, can require treatment in a hospital, and in rare situations, can even die. After getting COVID-19, children and teens can also experience a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems. Getting eligible children vaccinated can help prevent them from getting really sick even if they do get infected and help prevent serious short- and long-term complications of COVID-19.

Vaccinating children can also give parents greater confidence in their children participating in childcare, school, and other activities.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is a safer, more reliable way to build protection than getting sick with COVID-19. The known risks of COVID-19 and possible severe complications—such as long-term health problems, hospitalization, and even death—outweigh the potential risks of having a rare, adverse reaction to vaccination. The benefit of COVID-19 vaccines, like other vaccines, is that those who get vaccinated get protection without risking the potentially serious consequences of getting sick with COVID-19.

Are children and teens at risk of getting sick from COVID-19?

COVID-19 can make children and teens of any age very sick and sometimes requires treatment in a hospital. In rare situations, the complications from COVID-19 can lead to death. There is no way to tell in advance how children will be affected by COVID-19. Although children with underlying medical conditions are more likely to get severe COVID-19, healthy children without underlying conditions can also experience severe illness.

After getting COVID-19, children and teens can also experience a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems. These post-COVID conditions can be physical or mental, last for weeks, and affect quality of life.

Should children and teens who have previously been infected with COVID-19 get vaccinated?

Emerging evidence indicates that people can get added protection by getting vaccinated after having been infected with COVID-19. So, even if a child has had COVID-19, they should still get vaccinated. For children who have been infected with COVID-19, their next dose can be delayed 3 months from when symptoms started or, if they did not have symptoms, when they received a positive test result.

Should parents and caregivers wait for updated or additional vaccines, if a child is low risk for infection?

Parents and caregivers should get their child vaccinated as soon as vaccines are available to them. Getting vaccinated provides the best protection against serious illness if a child gets infected with COVID-19. Since there is no way to tell in advance how children will be affected by COVID-19—and even healthy children can get really sick—it’s important to get them vaccinated as soon as possible to protect them against severe COVID-19. To see if vaccines are available for a child, talk to a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, call the local health department or clinic, or visit vaccines.gov.

What You Need to Know

• Millions of children and teens ages 5 through 17 years have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
• Through continued safety monitoring, COVID-19 vaccination has been found to be safe for children and teens.
• The known risks and possible severe complications of COVID-19 outweigh the potential risks of having a rare, adverse reaction to vaccination.
• Everyone ages 6 months and older should stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines, which includes getting boosters for everyone 5 years and older if eligible.
• Use CDC’s COVID-19 booster tool to learn if and when your child or teen can get boosters to stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.

Clinical Trials and Ongoing Safety Monitoring Show That COVID-19 Vaccination Is Safe for Children and Teens

Before authorizing or approving COVID-19 vaccines, scientists conducted clinical trials with thousands of children and teens to establish their safety and effectiveness. Learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines were developed and approved.

COVID-19 vaccines are being monitored under the most comprehensive and intense vaccine safety monitoring program in U.S. history. CDC monitors all COVID-19 vaccines after they are authorized or approved for use. CDC and FDA will continue to monitor vaccines, keep people informed of findings, and use data to make COVID-19 vaccination recommendations.

Serious Health Events after COVID-19 Vaccination Are Rare

Serious reactions after COVID-19 vaccination in children and teens are rare. When they are reported, serious reactions most frequently occur within a few days after vaccination.

Rare cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart) have been reported after children and teens ages 5 years and older got the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. New studies have shown the rare risk of myocarditis and pericarditis associated with mRNA COVID-19 vaccination (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna)—mostly among males between the ages of 12 and 39 years—may be further reduced with a longer time between the first and second dose.

• In children ages 5 through 11 years, there were 20 confirmed reports of myocarditis out of approximately 18.1 million doses given of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine between November 2021 and April 2022.
• In reports of myocarditis following mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination from December 2020 to August 2021, the risk of myocarditis was highest following the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in adolescent and young adult males.
• Reporting rates were around 70 cases per million doses in males ages 12 through 15 years and 105 cases per million doses in males ages 16 through 17 years.

Learn more about myocarditis and pericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination and the association between myocarditis and having COVID-19.

Febrile seizures were rare in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials for young children and occurred at similar rates for both Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Learn more about febrile seizures and vaccines.

A severe allergic reaction, like anaphylaxis, may happen after any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination, but this is rare. If your child experiences a severe allergic reaction after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine providers can rapidly provide care and call for emergency medical services, if needed.

If your child gets a COVID-19 vaccine and you think they might be having a severe allergic reaction after leaving the vaccination provider site, seek immediate medical care by calling 911.

People Cannot Get COVID-19 from Any COVID-19 Vaccine

mRNA vaccines, like the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, do not use the live virus that causes COVID-19 and do not interact with DNA in any way. Instead, mRNA vaccines teach the body how to fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Then, the body gets rid of the mRNA within a few days after vaccination.

There Is No Evidence That COVID-19 Vaccination Causes Problems Becoming Pregnant

There is no evidence that vaccine ingredients, including mRNA, or antibodies made following COVID-19 vaccination would cause any problems with becoming pregnant now or in the future. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines for people who would like to have a baby someday.

Learn more about how mRNA vaccines, like the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, work. Also, watch videos from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) about how mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were developed and how mRNA vaccines work.

Research on COVID-19 Vaccine Safety in Children

Children ages 5 through 11 years

• COVID-19 vaccine safety in children aged 5–11 Years — United States, November 3–December 19, 2021
• Evaluation of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine in children 5 to 11 years of age
• Adverse events among children ages 5–11 years after COVID-19 vaccination: Updates from v-safe and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)
• The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ interim recommendation for use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 5–11 years — United States, November 2021

Children ages 12 through 17 years

• Safety monitoring of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses among persons aged 12–17 years — United States, December 9, 2021–February 20, 2022
• Safety monitoring in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)
• Myocarditis cases reported after mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination in the US from December 2020 to August 2021
• COVID-19 vaccine safety in adolescents aged 12–17 years — United States, December 14, 2020–July 16, 2021
• Use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in persons aged ≥16 years: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — United States, September 2021
• Use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine after reports of myocarditis among vaccine recipients: Update from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — United States, June 2021
• The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ interim recommendation for use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents aged 12–15 Years — United States, May 2021

Are COVID-19 vaccines safe for children and teens?

Yes. Before recommending COVID-19 vaccination for children, scientists conducted clinical trials with thousands of children to establish the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines.

Millions of children and teens ages 5 through 17 years have received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Ongoing safety monitoring shows that the known risks and possible severe complications of COVID-19 outweigh the potential risks of having a rare, adverse reaction to vaccination.

Reported side effects tend to be mild, temporary, and like those experienced after routine vaccination. Serious reactions after COVID-19 vaccination in children are rare. When they are reported, serious reactions most frequently occur within a few days after vaccination.

What are the ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccines?

The ingredients in COVID-19 vaccines currently available for adults, adolescents, and children vary by manufacturer.

None of the vaccines contain eggs, gelatin, latex, or preservatives. All COVID-19 vaccines are free from metals such as iron, nickel, cobalt, lithium, and rare earth alloys. They are also free from manufactured products such as microelectronics, electrodes, carbon nanotubes, or nanowire semiconductors.

None of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized or approved in the United States contain any live virus.

Can children and teens get COVID-19 from a COVID-19 vaccine?

No. mRNA vaccines, like the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and Moderna vaccine, do not use the live virus that causes COVID-19 and do not interact with DNA in any way. mRNA vaccines teach the body how to fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Then, the body gets rid of the mRNA within a few days after vaccination.

Is there a fertility or developmental concern with vaccinating children and teens before they reach puberty?

No. There is no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, can cause female or male fertility problems. There is no evidence that vaccine ingredients, including mRNA, or antibodies made following COVID-19 vaccination would cause any problems with becoming pregnant now or in the future. Similarly, there is no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine affects puberty.

Are there concerns about myocarditis or pericarditis after vaccination in children?

Rare cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart) have been reported after children and teens 5 years and older got a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. New studies have shown the rare risk of myocarditis and pericarditis associated with mRNA COVID-19 vaccination—mostly among males between the ages of 12 and 39 years—may be further reduced with a longer time between the first and second dose.

How is vaccine safety monitored in children and teens?

COVID-19 vaccines have undergone – and continue to undergo – the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. CDC continues to monitor all COVID-19 vaccines after they are authorized or approved for use with new and established safety monitoring systems. Parents and caregivers can register and enroll their child in v-safe, which provides personalized and confidential health check-ins after COVID-19 vaccination. Additionally, patients, caregivers, and vaccine providers can report serious health events occurring after vaccination to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). CDC and FDA review VAERS data to identify potential safety concerns.

CDC and FDA continue to monitor vaccines, keep people informed of findings, and use data to make COVID-19 vaccination recommendations.

Is it safe to get a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as other vaccines, like flu?

Children and teens can get a COVID-19 vaccine and other routinely recommended vaccines, including a flu vaccine, at the same visit.

Preparing Children and Teens for Vaccination

The experience of getting a COVID-19 vaccine will be very similar to the experience of getting routine vaccines. Use tips to support your child before, during, and after routine vaccinations when they get a COVID-19 vaccine.

• Talk to your child before vaccination about what to expect.
• Learn how you can help make shots less stressful.
• Read about ways to manage fear of needles.
• Tell the vaccine provider about any allergies your child may have.
• Ask your child to sit or lie down during vaccination, and for 15 minutes after the vaccine is given, to prevent fainting and injuries related to fainting. You can hold younger children during vaccinations in recommended ways, which may reduce the child’s stress and help healthcare professionals more easily give the vaccine.
• Stay for 15–30 minutes after your child’s COVID-19 vaccination, so your child can be observed in case they have a severe allergic reaction and need immediate treatment.
• Ask your child’s healthcare provider for advice on using non-aspirin pain reliever and other steps you can take at home to comfort your child. It is not recommended to give pain relievers before vaccination as a way of preventing side effects.
• Make sure your child receives their COVID-19 Vaccination Record card before leaving the vaccination site.

Learn more about preparing for COVID-19 vaccination.

Requesting Accommodations at COVID-19 Vaccination Sites

When making an appointment or arriving for vaccination, parents and caregivers can let staff and/or volunteers know your child might need some accommodations.

COVID-19 Vaccine Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL)

Call 888-677-1199 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (EST) or email
DIAL@usaginganddisability.org to help:

• Find local vaccination locations
• Make appointments
• Connect to local services such as accessible transportation

What You Need to Know

• Children and teens may have some side effects after getting their COVID-19 vaccine.
• These side effects tend to be mild, temporary, and similar to those experienced after routine vaccinations.
• Some children and teens have no side effects.
• Serious side effects are rare, but may occur.

Common COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects

Younger children may experience fewer side effects after COVID-19 vaccination than teens or young adults. For children 4 years and older, side effects are more common after the second dose and can include:

• Pain, swelling, and redness in the arm where the shot was given
• Fever
• Tiredness
• Headache
• Chills
• Muscle or joint pain
• Swollen lymph nodes

For children 3 years and younger, common side effects can include:

• Pain where the shot was given
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Irritability or crying
• Sleepiness
• Loss of appetite

Possible Side Effects after Booster Shot

Side effects reported after getting a Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot for children 5 years and older were similar to those after the primary series (the initial two doses). Overall, most side effects were mild to moderate. As with the primary series, serious side effects are rare, but may occur.

Learn more about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and understanding adverse events and side effects.

Help Manage Side Effects after Vaccination

In general, aspirin is not recommended for use in anyone younger than 18 years. Aspirin puts children at risk for Reye’s syndrome, which can cause swelling in the brain and liver. Placing a cool, damp cloth on the area where the shot was given can help reduce the discomfort.

Ask your child’s doctor for advice on using a non-aspirin pain reliever and other steps you can take at home after your child gets vaccinated.

Get Started with v-safe

After getting your child vaccinated, enroll them in the v-safe After Vaccination Health Checker. v-safe provides personalized and confidential health check-ins after COVID-19 vaccination.

Learn more about v-safe and share with other parents and caregivers the importance of enrolling after vaccination.

What You Need to Know

• COVID-19 vaccination for children and teens is safe and effective.
• Everyone 6 months and older, including those with disabilities and underlying medical conditions, should get vaccinated against COVID-19.
• Everyone 5 years and older should get a booster, if eligible.
• Use CDC’s COVID-19 booster tool to learn if and when your child or teen can get boosters to stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.

Children and youth with special healthcare needs require more care for their physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional differences than their typically developing peers. A special healthcare need can include physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities, as well as long-standing medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, a blood disorder, or muscular dystrophy. Learn more about Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs in Emergencies.

1 in 6 children ages 3 through 17 years of age has one or more developmental disabilities.

Children and Teens with Disabilities Are at Increased Risk for Severe Illness from COVID-19

Many children and teens with disabilities have underlying medical conditions such as lung, heart, or kidney disease, a weakened immune system, cancer, obesity, diabetes, some blood diseases, or conditions of the muscular or central nervous system. Children and teens with one or more underlying medical condition are more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.

Similarly, children and teens with developmental disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, an intellectual disability, or autism, may be more likely to experience mental health conditions from social isolation. They can also experience barriers to getting needed health care and other support, and can have other characteristics that increase their risk of COVID-19, including:

• Limited mobility
• Need for important support services
• Challenges practicing preventive measures, such as wearing a mask
• Challenges communicating symptoms of Illness or being sick

Getting Children and Teens with Disabilities Vaccinated against COVID-19

The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks

• COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective at protecting against COVID-19 and preventing severe illness if infected.
  • In clinical trials, about 20% of children and teens who participated had an underlying medical condition.
• Some children and teens with a weakened immune system should get an additional dose of vaccine as part of their primary COVID-19 vaccination series.

Prepare all children and teens for the vaccination visit and use resources such as picture stories for support during and after vaccination.

After vaccination, parents and caregivers should continue following all current prevention measures recommended by CDC.

Requesting accommodations at COVID-19 vaccination sites

When making an appointment or arriving for vaccination, parents and caregivers can let staff and/or volunteers know their child might need some accommodations.

COVID-19 Vaccine Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL)

Call 888-677-1199 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (EST) or email
DIAL@usaginganddisability.org to help:

• Find local vaccination locations
• Make appointments
• Connect to local services such as accessible transportation

Home visits: If a child under your care is unable to leave the home, contact your state, territorial, local, or tribal health department to request an in-home vaccination.