GREENSBORO, N.C. — The CDC signed off on Pfizer's vaccine for kids 5-11 Tuesday. This allowed millions of children to get vaccinated as early as this week.
The Kaiser Family Foundation surveyed whether parents would vaccinate their children. 27% said they will vaccinate their kid, 33% said they would wait and see and 31% said they would not.
We gathered some of the top questions we've seen from parents and got answers.
Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe?
Doctors said Pfizer's vaccine for kids 5-11 is both safe and effective. A Center for Disease Control study found every million doses given to children in this age group would prevent 58,204 cases and 226 hospitalizations.
Dr. Sara Oliver with the CDC said the vaccine passed every test it needed to before getting approved.
"The clinical trial demonstrated the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is safe, immunogenic and efficacious in children 5-11 years of age," Dr. Oliver said.
What side effects do kids experience?
Children who participated in the trial experienced similar side effects to adults. Most of their symptoms were mild.
The Food and Drug Administration says some of the most common side effects included headaches, pain at the injection site, muscle aches and fatigue. It also said no children had serious reactions during the trial.
Some studies suggested children were less likely to experience side effects than those older than 12. FDA data support this.
Data show 39.4% of kids 5-11 experienced fatigue after their second shot. 65.6% of people 16-25 had fatigue. More than twice as many people from the older group had headaches after their second shot.
Dr. Daniel Denner from Novant Health said the smaller dose could be the cause.
"They are less likely to have those startup side effects -- feeling tired, having fevers, just not feeling well in general -- for that 2-3 day period after the shot," Denner said.
Where can my child get vaccinated?
Several places in the Greensboro area plan to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to kids 5-11.
You can find a full list here. You can also text us "KIDS" at 336-379-5775, and we'll send you a link.
Will my child be fully vaccinated in time for the holidays?
Your child cannot get fully vaccinated in time for Thanksgiving. Pfizer's vaccine is a two-shot series, and your child needs to wait three weeks in between doses.
If you want them fully vaccinated for Christmas, they need their second shot by Dec. 11. That means they need to get their first shot by Nov. 20.
Is the kids' vaccine the same as the one given to those 12+?
No, kids 5-11 will not receive the same shot as people 12 or older. Pfizer's vaccine for that age group is about one-third the size of the other.
Doctors say it's still effective. Kids are getting a smaller shot because different age groups need different dosages. Dr. Ashley Perrott, a family physician with Novant Health, said the dosage is just right.
"Their immune system works differently than ours do," Dr. Perrott said. "In general, kids have a pretty impressive immune response and so it may not require as much of the vaccine to produce antibodies."
Should my child get vaccinated if they already had COVID-19?
Doctors say yes, you should vaccinate your child even if they have natural immunity. A CDC study found unvaccinated people were more than twice as likely to get infected than those fully vaccinated.
We now have additional evidence that reaffirms the importance of COVID-19 vaccines, even if you have had prior infection," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. "This study adds more to the body of knowledge demonstrating the protection of vaccines against severe disease from COVID-19."
What happens if divorced parents disagree about vaccinating their children?
If divorced parents share custody over their child or children, they need to come to an agreement. If one parent has legal custody, they get the final say.
"Legal custody here in North Carolina at least means which parent has the authority to make legal life decisions for the minor children," Samuele Viscuso, a family attorney, said. "So, where they go to school, what type of religious practices that they have, what type of medical treatments that they receive, what's appropriate. Those are the decisions that are allowed to be made when you have legal custody."