COVID-19 Vaccination Information for Kids & Teens
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the use of three COVID-19 vaccines in the United States:
- The Pfizer vaccine is authorized for people 12 years of age and older.
- The Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines are authorized for people age18 and over.
- There is no vaccine authorized yet for children under age 12.
Additional dose of vaccine now recommended for immunocompromised people
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends that immunocompromised people — including those ages 12 and older — receive a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. People who are immunocompromised may be more likely to get very sick from COVID-19, and a third dose of the vaccine may offer them more protection. They include people who:
- are undergoing active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies
- have had a solid-organ transplant and are taking immunosuppressive therapy
- have had a CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within two years of transplantation or are taking immunosuppression therapy)
- have moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
- have advanced or untreated HIV infection
- are undergoing active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory.
More details are available at the CDC’s website.
If you or your child have not received your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine — or if you or your child are immunocompromised and believe you qualify for a third dose — please register for the Boston Children’s patient portal to self-schedule an appointment or call 617-919-7102 to connect with a member of our team to schedule. Phone lines are open Monday through Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
If children don't frequently experience severe illness with COVID-19, why do they need a COVID-19 vaccine?
While it’s infrequent, it does happen. Learn about our post-COVID clinic, A COVID-19 vaccine may also reduce the chance of your child from spreading the COVID-19 virus to others, including younger children, who are not yet eligible for the vaccine.
Educating kids about the COVID-19 vaccine
Watch our video to learn why Boston Children’s employees and patients say they’re choosing to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Facts about the COVID-19 vaccine in kids and teens
The COVID-19 vaccines:
- may the risk of people spreading the virus that causes COVID-19.
- are very effective. The vaccines authorized so far by the FDA are up to 95% effective for preventing symptomatic illness from COVID-19. This is a very high level of protection.
- are safe for all approved ages (currently that is 12+).
- cannot make you sick with COVID-19 since none of them contain the live virus.
- do not impact fertility or menstrual cycle. Boston Children's doctor addresses infertility worries tied to COVID-19
- do not alter your DNA
- appear to provide good protection for new variants against severe COVID-19 caused by the delta variant, even though research suggests they are slightly less effective overall
- are safe for people with underlying medical conditions, as long as they have not had an immediate or severe allergic reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine or to any of the ingredients in the vaccine
- are recommended by the World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, American Nurses Association and many other groups
People of color may have concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine for personal or historic reasons. We address why some people hesitate and why we continue to recommend vaccination.
Getting your child vaccinated
Where can my child get the vaccine?
At Boston Children’s, we’re vaccinating eligible patients against COVID-19. It is possible that there will be sites closer to home that offer the vaccine, too. You can search for vaccines near you on the vaccine.gov website.
While we are eager to be a vaccine resource, we encourage you to take advantage of any opportunity to schedule a vaccination appointment through state and local health care organizations and agencies by visiting mass.gov/vaccine.
Because every state is a little different, we encourage Boston Children’s families outside Massachusetts to get vaccinated in your home state as soon as you are eligible, instead of waiting for your child to receive their vaccine at Boston Children’s.
Where is Boston Children’s offering vaccine clinics?
Boston Children’s is offering vaccines at our Longwood campus in Boston, as well as periodically at satellite locations and the Martha Eliot Health Center.
How do I schedule my child for a vaccine?
Please register for the Boston Children’s patient portal to self-schedule an appointment or call 617-919-7102 to connect with a member of our team to schedule. Phone lines will be open Monday through Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Is there transportation assistance available for COVID-19 vaccine appointments?
Yes. We will ask you if you need transportation assistance when we contact you to schedule your child’s vaccine.
If your child has MassHealth coverage or the Health Safety Net, including MassHealth Limited, Children’s Medical Security Program (CMSP) and MassHealth Family Assistance (FA), you can arrange free transportation to your child’s COVID-19 vaccine appointment by calling 800-841-2900 (TTY: 800-497-4648). For more information, visit the MassHealth website.
Boston Children’s is providing free parking for all vaccine appointments.
Frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccines
Yes. While the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a single dose, the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines offer the most protection after two doses. Some people have mild symptoms, like a sore arm or headache, that last for a day or two after the vaccine. These side effects are normal. If your child had an allergic reaction after the first dose, please talk to your doctor before getting the second dose.
Yes. Your child should get the vaccine even if they have already had COVID-19. Even though having had COVID-19 may provide some protection from getting sick again, we do not know how long that protection fades over time.
No. People with COVID-19 can get the vaccine after they are feeling better and meet the criteria to stop isolation. Read the CDC’s guidelines on when you can be around others after having COVID-19. If your child had COVID-19 and had monoclonal antibody or convalescent plasma treatments, they should wait 90 days to get the vaccine. Talk with your child’s doctor about when your child should receive the vaccine.
There is no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine affects future fertility.
There have been rare and mild cases of a type of heart inflammation called myocarditis in some younger patients who received certain COVID-19 vaccines. Dr. Kristin Moffitt offers more details.
The data we have seen make us confident that the vaccines authorized by the FDA are safe for the ages included in the authorization.
Most new medicines and vaccines are studied in adults first, so the first authorization for the vaccines doesn’t include younger children. Companies are studying the vaccines in younger children, and there will be more information coming on their safety and effectiveness in children. Very rarely, some people have had allergic reactions to the vaccines, which can be treated.
The most common symptoms after getting vaccinated are a mild-to-moderate headache, muscle aches or fatigue, and sometimes a low fever. These usually don’t last more than a day or two.
No. The reason that the COVID-19 vaccines were able to be made so quickly is that the government provided extra money to support the research and production. The quality of the trials and the review of the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines has not changed from normal processes.
The number and timing of dozes is dependent on which vaccine you are given:
- The Pfizer vaccine is given in two doses, with the second dose coming three weeks after the first.
- The Moderna vaccine is given in two doses, with the second dose coming four weeks after the first.
- The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is given in one dose.
Eventually, there will probably be other vaccines available with different schedules.
Studies of the COVID-19 vaccine have used the same dose and regimen for 12- to 15-year-olds that was used in adults and showed excellent immune responses. Dr. Kristin Moffitt explains.
According to the CDC, vaccine doses purchased with U.S. taxpayer dollars will be given to Americans at no cost. However, vaccination providers may charge an administration fee for giving the shot.
Download the patient education sheet
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