Multiple health authorities, including the World Health Organization, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommend that children and teenagers receive any COVID-19 vaccine allowed for emergency use as soon as it is available to their age group. 

Globally, the Pfizer vaccine has been deemed safe for children aged 12 years and older. This vaccine is administered as two doses, given three weeks apart. Children are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose. The Pfizer vaccine can also be safely given with other childhood vaccines. On July 23, 2021, the European Medicine Agency’s (EMA) human medicines committee authorized emergency use of the Moderna vaccine, also referred to as Spikevax, in children between 12-17 years. 

Generally, children experience mild side effects similar to adults after receiving the Pfizer vaccine. These include fatigue, mild fever, muscle aches, and soreness at the injection site.

There have been multiple cases of pericarditis and myocarditis following mRNA vaccination (Pfizer and Moderna), primarily in young men (16 years of age and older). According to the World Health Organization, myocarditis is the technical term for inflammation of the heart muscle and pericarditis refers to inflammation of the lining around the heart. Typically, cases are mild and resolve after treatment. Confirmed cases have mostly occurred among males aged 16 years or older within three days after the second dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna). The rate among males aged 12-29 years was 40.6 cases per one million second doses. Among females of the same age group, it was 4.2 per one million second doses.

Current research suggests that adolescents aged 16 and older are 18 times more likely to develop myocarditis after COVID-19 infection. That is much higher than the risk reported after vaccination. Research is unclear for kids aged 12-15, and more data is needed to examine the trend further. The CDC continues to recommend vaccination for children aged 12 to 17 (and older), including those who have had a history of previous myocarditis. The CDC also recommends completing the second dose for those who have received the first dose of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) supports this recommendation as well. 

While myocarditis is more common in young adolescents than initially thought, it is still a rare symptom: data from the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System indicates approximately 40.6 cases of myocarditis per million second doses among young males 12-29 years of age, and 4.2 cases per million among young females in the same age group. To date, there has been no causal link between the mRNA vaccines and pericarditis or myocarditis, and studies are still underway.

Symptoms of myocarditis include chest pain, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath. Myocarditis is a rare condition and is most commonly treated with medicines over a week to ten days. Very rarely, myocarditis can lead to hospitalization. As of July 2021, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices advises that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risk of heart problems. The EMA’s recommendations are in alignment with the CDC’s.

Given the severe complications resulting from COVID-19 infection including long-term health concerns and death, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control continues to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 12 years of age and older. The benefits of mRNA vaccines far outweigh any risks of vaccination since the vaccines are very effective at preventing serious illness resulting from COVID-19 infection.

In May 2021, Canada became the first country to authorize the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use among 12-15 year old children. The Pfizer vaccine was given the green light for this population by the United States Food and Drug Administration, EMA, Chilean Institute of Public Health, Japan Health Ministry, and Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines later that month. Throughout June 2021, Singapore, China, Israel, Dubai, and Brazil, began administering the Pfizer vaccine to children aged 12-15. 

Since younger children are undergoing key stages of growth, scientists are taking additional precaution to evaluate the long-term effects of COVID-19 vaccines on development. Researchers anticipate that vaccines for children 6 months and older will be available by late 2021 or early 2022. Children who are unvaccinated or too young to receive the vaccine are urged to continue preventive measures, such as physical distancing, wearing a mask, and washing their hands.