BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — COVID-19 vaccines are now available for children all the way down to 6 months old.
The FDA and CDC both unanimously say the benefits outweigh the risks of vaccinating.
According to the CDC, COVID-19 community levels are considered high in multiple Idaho counties, including Ada county.
Doctors say one of the ways to stop the spread is to keep up on your vaccinations, including getting your kids vaccinated.
"Even when we talk to families, they ask me 'Do kids get as sick as adults?' Generally not, which is wonderful. They still can get COVID, replicate that virus many times, pass it on to other people and encourage the mutation of it to the next variant," said Dr. Naya Antink, a pediatrician at Saint Alphonsus.
I asked Dr. Antink about the safety of these vaccines.
"In the 6-month to 5-year range the Pfizer study had about 5,000 kids, the Moderna study had about 10,000 kids of which about half of them received the vaccine, they are comparing to those who did not. So far they are very effective at preventing serious disease," Antink said.
She says younger kids generally react better to the vaccine than teenagers and adults.
"Some of the concerns with some of the older teenagers about heart inflammation, the medical community did not see any evidence of heart inflammation in this youngest age group and there were no new safety issues that came up in these studies," Antink said.
RELATED: COVID vaccine for kids ages 6 months to 5 years now available but parents divided
Despite this, Dr. Antink knows some parents are still on the fence.
"I like to reassure them that the way that this vaccine works is the same way that it has worked for the school-age kids and the teenagers and the adults, so it's not like we are reinventing and giving the children and infants a brand new type of vaccine, it's the same one with just a smaller dose," Antink said.
Saint Alphonsus is administering the Pfizer Vaccine to kids ages 6 months to 5 years old atSaint Alphonsus Boise - Mulvaney Pediatrics,Saint Alphonsus Caldwell - Elm Pediatrics, andSaint Alphonsus Nampa - Garrity Pediatrics. To sign up for an appointment click HERE.
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