Do My Teens Need to Get a COVID-19 Booster?Experts discuss

By this point in Omicron’s surge, most adults know that they can and should actually get themselves. COVID-19 Booster Shot If you haven’t done so yet. Also, as of January 4, adolescents up to the age of 12 are eligible for boosters.

When Pediatric COVID-19 cases Higher than ever during a pandemic, according to the latest data available from American Pediatric SocietyIt is absolutely important that young people are as protected as possible from the virus.

Data suggests that Protection from the original COVID-19 vaccine series declines About six months later, Dr. Jaime Deville, a clinical professor of pediatrics at the Infectious Diseases Department at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, said today. In addition to this, evidence that Omicron can circumvent some of the protection from the vaccine makes it an important tool to keep boosters as safe as possible for the duration of the pandemic, Devil said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people over the age of 12 may be eligible for the COVID-19 booster, depending on the first vaccine they received and how long ago they received it.

According to the CDC, if you are 12 years of age or older and obtained the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA series at least 5 months ago, you are eligible for a Pfizer booster shot. Currently, the Pfizer vaccine is the only vaccine available to people under the age of 18, so adolescents do not have to worry about its potential. Mixing and matching Their boosters at the moment.

Moderna submitted data to the Food and Drug Administration last year for children aged 12 to 17 years.And the company wants to get that approval Vaccine in the first half of this year.

The Side effects from booster shots Dr. Stephen Seichner, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at UVA Health, said today that it looks similar to that of the original series of this age group and adults.

The person who received the Pfizer shot may include:

• Pain at the injection site.
• Redness or swelling at the injection site.
• Pain in muscles and joints.
• Malaise.
• cold.

It is important to remember that side effects are temporary (most often lasting 2-3 days) and can usually be effectively managed with over-the-counter painkillers.

“I almost welcome those feelings because it gives me the feeling that my immune system is actually working and learning how to recognize the virus,” Zeichner said.

One of the more serious potential reactions to the vaccine is an allergic reaction, which may include: Anaphylaxis In the most serious case, Devil said.

However, Pfizer is currently the only option for people in this young age group in the United States. Therefore, if the adolescent reacts seriously to the first series, he may not be able to get a booster at this point. Alternatively, it may be possible to work with the medical team to vaccinate under tightly monitored and controlled conditions, Deville explained.

According to recent reports, myocarditis is a type of heart inflammation that occurs more frequently in people who have been vaccinated with the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine than in those who have not. JAMA A study containing data on about 200 million doses of vaccine administered. The study suggests that it is more likely to occur in adolescent and young men (16-24 years) than in other populations that may be vaccinated.

but, Myocarditis after vaccination It remains very low (JAMA study found about 106 cases per million doses of Pfizer vaccine in men aged 16 and 17 years). And the risk of myocarditis after COVID-19 infection remains even higher. a CDC research We found that the incidence of myocarditis was 16 times higher in people infected with COVID-19 than in non-infected people. In that study, there were 150 cases of myocarditis per 100,000 COVID-19 patients.

“The risk of getting COVID is much worse than the risk of side effects (of the vaccine), including myocarditis,” Zeichner said, and cases of myocarditis after vaccination tend to be rare and self-restricting. He added that there is.

Also, myocarditis is not the only problem that can occur if you have a COVID-19 infection. “We need to worry about all other types of complications, both acute and long-term,” says Zeichner. For children and teens Long COVID Even if MIS-C.

For qualified people, getting a booster is “very, very important,” Zeichner said. “Once five months have passed and you are qualified, get it.”