As school starts back up here in the Upstate, I think the question at the forefront of all parents’ minds is, “What is the current research telling us about children and the coronavirus?”

Here at Parkside, we are committed to keeping you educated and in-the-know about things Peds so that you can make the best decisions for your family. In our hopes to support you, we will continue to post COVID-19 related ifnormation weekly this fall—addressing common questions and concerns we are hearing in our interactions with you in our office, over the phone, and online.

So, with all of that said, today we will confront possibly the hottest topic at all…children and the Covid-19 vaccine. 

Common Questions Answered About Your Child and the Covid-19 Vaccine

• Does the vaccine really make a difference? Absolutely. The rate of hospitalization and death is exponentially higher in the unvaccinated. Research shows that 80-90% of hospitalizations are those that have not recieved the vaccine.
• Is the vaccine safe for my child? Are there long-term concerns about the vaccine? Side effects for every vaccine ever created have happened within 6 weeks of receiving the vaccine. Several billion doses of Covid vaccines have now been given around the world without serious side effects, which is proof/evidence of the vaccine’s safety. It’s worth noting that the long term risks of Covid disease are already proving to be exponentially worse than anything associated with the vaccine. 
•  Was the vaccine rushed to market? No. The technology used in Covid vaccines has been in development and testing literally for decades. The mRNA technology does not interact with your child’s DNA and is in and out of their body quickly.
• Does the vaccine contain the live virus? No. The Covid vaccine cannot cause you to get Covid and does not spread the delta variant (or other variants).
• I’ve heard that the vaccine may cause myocarditis? Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) is roughly 6 times more likely to result from the Covid virus than the vaccine, and is significantly more severe in those cases.
• Does the vaccine place a microchip in my child’s body? Well…it’s complicated you see…j/k. No, of course not!
• What about children who are immune compromised? Immunocompromised people are more likely to get severely ill from Covid, and are at a higher risk for prolonged infection and shedding/spreading to close contacts. No seriours adverse events have been reported in these populations from the Covid vaccine, and like I stated above, the risk of Covid disease is far worse than any vaccine in this population. All that said, if your child is immunocompromised, we do encourage you to talk to your primary provider for further questions .

Parents, this is a strange and challenging time. Show yourself grace as you navigate all the normal decisions that come with parenting along with all these novel choices that have bombarded us quickly during this pandemic.

If you have questions that we did not answer here regarding the Covid vaccine, or otherwise, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We are here for you!

Until next time,

Dr. Scott Dobson

Parkside Provider, an average golfer, and a curly hair product collector