Lifestyle Health Everything to Know About the COVID Vaccine for Kids While parents wait for the COVID-19 vaccine to be approved for children under the age of 5, here’s all the latest data and research on the shot for kids of any age By Rachel Burchfield Published on March 2, 2022 09:00AM EST The quick rundown on a complicated topic? Children ages 5 and up are two-dose Pfizer vaccine eligible, and children ages 12 and up are booster eligible, as well. Children under five are not quite vaccine eligible, with Pfizer recently postponing its Food and Drug Administration application as the company seeks more data. Read on to learn more about what's the latest from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and what three pediatricians – who are all also moms themselves – have to say. Getty Children Under 5: Not Yet Vaccine-Eligible Children under five years old remain the only age group not yet approved for the COVID-19 vaccine. Though there was speculation that a two-dose series might be approved in early 2022, Pfizer recently postponed its rolling application to the Food and Drug Administration to expand the use of its two-dose vaccine for children ages six months to four years. In a press release, company cited the need to wait for data on a three-dose series of the vaccine, stating that their researchers believed that a third dose "may provide a higher level of protection in this age group." Data on the third dose is expected in early April, Pfizer said. According to Dr. Kelly Fradin, a New York City pediatrician, mother of two, and author of the book Parenting in a Pandemic, Moderna has indicated that it will submit data soon. But the postponement of eligibility for young children just as many states around the country begin to lift vaccination and mask mandates has caused frustration for some parents and pediatricians. "I'm disappointed that we haven't made developing a vaccine for under five-year-olds more of a priority," Fradin tells PEOPLE. "While children are at lower risk from COVID-19, parents deserve options for protecting their children from infection and decreasing their risk of severe infection, long-COVID, and MIS-C (multisystem inflammatory syndrome). Additionally, vaccination will decrease the need for masking, testing, quarantine, and interruptions to daycare, school, and childcare for these children. The importance of this on family wellbeing cannot be overstated." Pediatrician Dr. Mona Amin – who is also a mother to a child under five years old – echoes Dr. Fradin, but emphasizes that more data is always a good thing. "I know many of you may have kids under five and are feeling forgotten when it comes to this pandemic or this vaccine – but I want to remind you of something," she says. "I would never want an incomplete process for a vaccine that I would give my patients or my child, and neither should you. As frustrating as delays in clinical trials may seem, these delays are happening to ensure safety and efficacy exist. And, for me, this is why the scientific process is so trusted." Getty Children 5 to 11: Vaccine-Eligible, but Numbers Are Low As of November 2, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone ages five and older get a COVID-19 vaccine: "There are approximately 28 million children between the ages of five and 11 years old in the United States, and there have been nearly 2 million cases of COVID-19 within this age group during the pandemic. COVID-19 can make children very sick and cause children to be hospitalized. In some situations, the complications from infection can lead to death." More than 8,300 COVID-19 related hospitalizations and nearly 100 deaths from the virus have happened in the 5-to-11 age group, per the CDC, and COVID-19 ranks as one of the top 10 causes of death for children in this age bracket. (Meanwhile, studies show the vaccine is more than 90 percent effective at preventing COVID in this age range.) According to Dr. Fradin, currently 32.2 percent of children ages 5 to 11 have had one dose of the vaccine, and 24.6 percent are fully vaccinated. (At the moment, the Pfizer vaccine is the only one approved for this age group, and they are not eligible for boosters.) "I hope to see this number rise," she says. "It's my hope that with time, parents who are vaccine hesitant will see that the more than 9 million children who have been vaccinated are doing well following the vaccine." Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, a pediatrician and mother of two, says many public education campaigns are ongoing to encourage parents to vaccinate their kids. The Academy of Pediatrics "has recently launched a program to have parent ambassadors as well [as experts] help get the word out on protecting our communities and children directly with vaccination." Getty Children 12 to 18: Vaccine-Eligible and Ready for Boosters Adolescents 12 and up receive the same dose of the Pfizer vaccine as adults, and are booster eligible if it has been five months from their last shot. "So far, reactions reported after getting a booster shot were similar to those after the two-dose primary series,"the CDC reports. "Fever, headache, fatigue, and pain at the injection site were the most commonly reported side effects, and overall, most side effects were mild to moderate. However, as with the two-dose or single-dose primary series, serious side effects are rare, but may occur." Dr. Fradin says 57 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds are fully vaccinated, and 67 percent have had at least one dose. Especially as spring activities loom – spring break, Prom, graduation – "vaccination will help keep these activities safe for all," she says. "While many kids are healthy, nearly one out of three have a chronic health condition, and additional children have newborns, elderly, or immunocompromised individuals at home. Vaccination will make these activities inclusive to everyone, even those who are at higher risk of COVID-19." Dr. Swanson says both of her teenage sons "are immunized and boosted. With an immunocompromised family member, this was the right decision for our children and one for me as a mom, daughter, pediatrician, and community member." The Bottom Line on Vaccines and Kids "The safety standards and rigor of testing for these vaccines meets or exceeds the other routine vaccinations we've given our children," Dr. Fradin says, including long-standing vaccines like MMR (measles-mumps-rubella), tetanus, and polio. "While they may feel new, they are now proven in millions of children to be safe and effective. I'd recommend parents speak with their pediatrician about any concerns." COVID-19 is "a vaccine-preventable illness, and children deserve protection like the rest of us," Dr. Swanson says. "We are also dependent on [kids getting vaccinated] to bring the entire community up to a level where the pandemic ceases. We want our children to be back to playdates, sleepovers, sports teams, field trips, regular interactions at school and in places of worship and meaning. The fastest and safest way there is to vaccinate the largest proportion of the population that we can."