COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and are now authorized for children ages 6 months and older.
Based on data from thousands of children who participated in clinical trials, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 6 months and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommend that all children and adolescents ages 6 months and older get vaccinated as soon as possible in order to protect themselves and prevent the spread of COVID-19 to others.
Children can be infected with COVID-19 and should be protected.
More than 14 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic. COVID-19 is the fifth most common cause of death for children ages 1 to 4. More than 400 children under the age of 4 have died from COVID-19, and the virus has caused serious illness and complications in hundreds more. Children with underlying health conditions may be more likely to become severely ill.
COVID-19 vaccines for children can help everyone get back to the things we love.
Being vaccinated will allow kids to get back to, and hold onto, the things they have missed: uninterrupted in-person learning, playing with friends and participating in sports and enrichment activities.
Get your children vaccinated and boosted at your earliest opportunity.
Children ages 6 months and older are eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. It’s important to get them vaccinated as soon as possible, especially with new variants circulating that could cause a summer or fall surge. Children ages 12 and up are eligible for the updated booster that was specially designed to strengthen immunity against the original coronavirus strain and protect against the newer Omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5.
Make sure your children are up to date on other routine immunizations to protect them, your family and your community. If we have high vaccination rates in every community, we are able to keep diseases and viruses from spreading throughout the U.S.
Widespread vaccination is a critical tool to stop the pandemic, safely keep schools open and prevent parents from missing work. Now that youth ages 6 months and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, we must work together to make sure parents who choose to vaccinate their children are fully supported.
Communications Tips
As a trusted source of information, employers can share facts about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines for adolescents ages 6 months and older, as well as the safety and benefits of other routine immunizations for children of all ages. There are many ways to communicate with your employees about the safety and benefits of childhood vaccination. Here are some strategies you might consider:
- Leverage a wide array of communications channels to reach your employees and workers, such as your company email, newsletter, home mailer or company intranet. Here’s an updated vaccine checklist you can use.
- Utilize our Key Messages to craft a letter from your CEO or other trusted leader in your organization.
- Share our answers to frequently asked questions and videos from trusted messengers such as the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- Parents’ biggest fear in choosing to vaccinate their children is safety. Dispel myths and misinformation by sharing the American Academy of Pediatrics “Ask a Pediatrician” resources.
- Host a company-wide town hall meeting, either in person or virtually, with a pediatrician or vaccine expert to answer questions and concerns your employees may have in getting their children immunized. For assistance in connecting with a local pediatrician, email us at hello@healthaction.org
- Engage employee resource groups and informal networks of parents within your workforce to have trusted conversations about the safety and benefits of vaccines for children.
- Encourage your employees and workers to talk with their children’s pediatrician directly.
