Opinion: Pediatrician’s advice for parents considering a Covid vaccine for young kids
As a pediatrician, I find this response disheartening. As a new mom to a beautiful boy who will be 6 months this March, I understand this parental concern. I have come to accept that worrying is part of being a parent, and despite being well versed in the science, I too have paused to ask myself whether I’m ready to give my baby the Covid-19 vaccine. My most important job as a mama is, after all, keeping him safe.
Knowing then, that some of us may be torn by the choice ahead of us, but that all of us want to keep our children safe, I want to share with you a few of the things that are bringing me comfort as the Covid-19 vaccine for young children makes its way through the regulatory process.
The context of childhood vaccinations
Few things in this world are inspected and monitored as closely as childhood vaccinations, and for good reason. Vaccines, unlike drugs to treat illnesses, are given to healthy children in order to keep them healthy. Because of this, the standard for safety and efficacy that vaccines must clear for approval is incredibly high.
I have also found it helpful to remember that following vaccination, immunity lasts in the body but the vaccine itself does not. Many parents have shared with me their concerns about the long-term effects of the vaccine on their kids’ development, future fertility and growth. I often explain the vaccine is a type of brief message to tell the body to make the protection against the virus, and once received and acted upon, the body destroys the message.
The process of approval for vaccines
In what can at times be an overwhelming stream of news, it can be hard to keep track of just how thorough the vaccine review and approval process is in this country.
Behind the long names and acronyms, these committees are made up of some of the most brilliant scientific minds of our time, which gives me yet another reason to believe in the process.
The vaccinations children routinely receive have all been through this process over the years and have been shown to be safe and effective. This has until now led me to vaccinate my son as soon as he has been eligible against illnesses like hepatitis B, diphtheria, polio, whooping cough and others. As the Covid-19 vaccine makes its way through the regulatory process in the coming weeks, I hope to be able to tune out the noise, to set aside any anxiety and, with as clear a mind as a new mom can have, know that the FDA and CDC recommendations will be grounded in facts and made by those who have worked diligently for decades to protect our kids from potentially serious and at times deadly illnesses. I can only wish the same for you.
