Protecting Kids Under Five From COVID-19 Might Be Easier Than You Think
It has long been known that children are less likely to experience severe COVID-19 symptoms than adults (via Mayo Clinic). However, kids are not immune to this disease and still have the risk of becoming infected and getting very sick. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been authorized for people over five years old, but there is no COVID-19 vaccine currently authorized for children under five (via CDC). If you have a child under the age of five, you may be worried about how you are best able to protect them against COVID-19. Fortunately, two new studies suggest that the simplest way to protect your child from getting infected is to get vaccinated yourself (via CNN).
Two studies recently conducted in Israel found that children living in a home where other family members were vaccinated against COVID-19 had a decreased risk of catching COVID-19 themselves. "Get everyone around them vaccinated, and that will protect your kid pretty well," said pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Amy Edwards. "It's not complete protection, but it is better protection."
Why you should get vaccinated against COVID-19
In addition to protecting your young children, there are many reasons to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Getting vaccinated can decrease your risk of getting COVID-19, spreading it to others, getting so sick that you require hospitalization, and dying from the virus (via CDC). There has been a huge amount of misinformation spread about the COVID-19 vaccine since it was released, which has led many people to feel like getting vaccinated is an unsafe choice. However, the vast majority of scientists and medical experts agree that aside from rare exceptions, the safest choice you can make to avoid getting COVID-19 is to get vaccinated.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the COVID-19 vaccine was developed quickly but safely. Years of science and research allowed us to create a vaccine in record time that did not cut any corners regarding safety or efficacy. As more and more people make the decision to get vaccinated, we get closer to getting back to our normal lives without restrictions, mask requirements, and other safety measures.