Important update: Healthcare facilities
CDC has updated select ways to operate healthcare systems effectively in response to COVID-19 vaccination. Learn more
UPDATE
Given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, CDC has updated the guidance for fully vaccinated people. CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Children should return to full-time in-person learning in the fall with layered prevention strategies in place.
UPDATE
The White House announced that vaccines will be required for international travelers coming into the United States, with an effective date of November 8, 2021. For purposes of entry into the United States, vaccines accepted will include FDA approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines. More information is available here.
UPDATE
Travel requirements to enter the United States are changing, starting November 8, 2021. More information is available here.

COVID-19 Vaccine Safety in Children and Teens

COVID-19 Vaccine Safety in Children and Teens
Updated Apr. 6, 2022
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What You Need to Know

  • Tens of millions of children and teens ages 5 through 17 years have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Through continued safety monitoring, COVID-19 vaccination has been found safe for children and teens.
  • The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks.
  • CDC recommends everyone ages 5 years and older get vaccinated against COVID-19 and everyone ages 12 years and older should also get a COVID-19 booster shot.

Clinical Trials and Ongoing Safety Monitoring Show That COVID-19 Vaccination Is Safe for Children and Teens

Before recommending COVID-19 vaccination, scientists conducted clinical trials with thousands of children and teens to make sure the vaccine is safe and effective. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine emergency authorization for use in everyone ages 5 through 15 years and full approval for use in everyone ages 16 years and older. Learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines were developed and approved.

COVID-19 vaccines are being monitored with the most comprehensive and intense vaccine safety monitoring program in U.S. history. CDC monitors all COVID-19 vaccines after they are authorized or approved for use. CDC and FDA will continue to monitor vaccines, keep people informed of findings, and use data to make COVID-19 vaccination recommendations.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine safety from published research and making sure COVID-19 vaccines used in the United States are safe.

Serious Health Events after COVID-19 Vaccination Are Rare

Serious reactions after COVID-19 vaccination in children and teens are rare. When they are reported, serious reactions most frequently occur the day after vaccination.

Rare cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart) have been reported after children and teens got the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. New studies have shown the rare risk of myocarditis and pericarditis associated with mRNA COVID-19 vaccination (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna)—mostly among males between the ages of 12 and 39 years—may be further reduced with a longer time between the first and second dose.

Learn more about myocarditis and pericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination and the association between myocarditis and having COVID-19.

A severe allergic reaction, like anaphylaxis, may happen after any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination, but this is rare. If your child experiences a severe allergic reaction after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine providers can rapidly provide care and call for emergency medical services, if needed.

If your child gets a COVID-19 vaccine and you think they might be having a severe allergic reaction after leaving the vaccination provider site, seek immediate medical care by calling 911.

People Cannot Get COVID-19 from Any COVID-19 Vaccine

mRNA vaccines, like the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, do not use the live virus that causes COVID-19 and do not interact with DNA in any way. Instead, mRNA vaccines teach the body how to fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Then, the body gets rid of the mRNA within a few days after vaccination.

There Is No Evidence That COVID-19 Vaccination Causes Problems Becoming Pregnant

There is no evidence that vaccine ingredients, including mRNA, or antibodies made following COVID-19 vaccination would cause any problems with becoming pregnant now or in the future. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines for people who would like to have a baby someday.

Learn more about how mRNA vaccines, like the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, work. Also, watch videos from the American Academy of Pediatrics about how mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were developed and how mRNA vaccines work.

Research on COVID-19 Vaccine Safety in Children

For a complete list of research, visit Vaccine Safety Publications.