“Should I vaccinate my young child?”

This ongoing question has been asked since the Covid vaccine has been open to the public. Many people disagree and say that there is no use in vaccinating kids as young as four years old against Covid because they aren’t likely to get the virus anyways. Many others agree that children should get vaccinated to further stop the spread of the virus.

According to some pediatricians, vaccinating children is a good idea because it majorly reduces the personal risk and decreases the risk of them transmitting the virus to others.

With the new Omicron variant and school re-opening, some say that the risk for children is even greater than before.

“I feel like if the CDC says it’s a good and responsible idea then people should weigh their options,” said sophomore Janae Murray.

Only about 30 percent of the families who patronize Pediatric Healthcare Associates are getting their kids vaccinated, according to Altoona Mirror News.

In most places, children ages five to eleven are now eligible to get the Pfizer vaccine. Research shows that the Pfizer vaccine is up to 91% effective in children. In some places, there has even been a shortage of vaccines for children. In Australia,  Doctors have had supply issues forcing them to cancel appointments for child vaccination which have resulted in many upset parents.

There are around 28 million children between the ages of five to eleven in the US. There have also been around two million Covid cases in this age group according to the CDC. Children, like adults, are similarly affected by Covid, both have short and long-term health complications and can easily spread the virus to the people around them. Children who have previously had Covid have a possibility of developing MIS-C (multisystem inflammatory syndrome). This syndrome causes inflammation in different body parts and organs. Since the beginning of this pandemic, there have been around 2,300 cases of MIS-C reported.

“As of mid-October 2021, children ages 5 through 11 years have experienced more than 8,300 COVID-19 related hospitalizations and nearly 100 deaths from COVID-19. In fact, COVID-19 ranks as one of the top 10 causes of death for children ages 5 through 11 years.” according to the CDC.