How Pediatricians Are Talking with Nervous Parents About the COVID-19 Vaccine

• Following the FDA’s emergency use authorization of the COVID-19 vaccines in kids ages 12 to 15, some parents are eager to get their kids vaccinated.
• However, others are hesitant about the shots. Pediatricians across the country are already having conversations with patients and their parents about the safety, efficacy, and benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines in children.
• We talked to these physicians about how they approach nervous parents.

While some parents are eager to get their children vaccinated, others are feeling nervous. COVID-19 tends to be milder in children, so some parents may wonder: Is it worth it?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in kids between the ages of 12 and 15.

The FDA called the authorization a significant step in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

A panel for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) voted unanimously on Wednesday to recommend the Pfizer vaccine for kids ages 12 to 15.

Across the country, many pediatricians are gearing up to talk with parents about the safety, efficacy, and benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines in kids. After all, as more people get vaccinated, the sooner we’ll reach herd immunity, get a handle on COVID-19, and regain some normalcy in our lives.

Here’s how pediatricians plan to talk with parents who are hesitant about getting their kids vaccinated.