Immediately after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds, I went online and scheduled an appointment for my son, Cole. At 9 years old, Cole is one of approximately 28 million children in the U.S. who are now eligible to get protected. A few days later at our local pharmacy, Cole rolled up his sleeve and received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. I immediately felt a sigh of relief.

As a family medicine doctor, I cared for many individual patients. As chief medical officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, I look out for the overall health and wellness of millions of members. And as a father, I just try to do what is best for my kids.

Thankfully, my older daughter received the COVID-19 vaccine months ago. My son, however, was the last member of our immediate family to be vaccinated. From a risk standpoint, he was “the weakest link” in our home. This risk has become even more apparent as the delta variant continues to threaten the health of our communities and spread rapidly, even among children.

Cole wears a mask at school. He doesn’t have any serious underlying health conditions. Even so, like many other parents, I have been tracking the case rates, hospitalizations and deaths for children who do get sick with COVID-19. Many of the kids who are infected do not have any symptoms. I also know that just because he hasn’t become sick with COVID-19 yet doesn’t mean it can’t  happen.

Since the start of the pandemic, more than 800 children in the U.S. have died from  COVID-19. More than 8,300 have been hospitalized. And there have been more than 5,000 cases of multi-inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) in children, resulting from a COVID-19 infection. I did not want Cole to be one of them, and now – thanks to the vaccine – that is extremely  unlikely.

An easy way to protect our children

As parents and guardians, it’s our responsibility to look out for the children in our care and to make informed decisions that will help keep them as safe and healthy as possible.

When it comes to being vaccinated against COVID-19, the benefits far outweigh the risks. More than 7 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have now been administered globally. It is proven to be both safe and effective. And extensive studies have been done to determine whether there are any differences in potential adverse effects for children who receive the vaccine, compared to adults.

In very rare cases, there have been reports of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart) in children and young adults. According to the CDC, most of these responded well to medicine and rest and felt better quickly. Certainly, parents should be aware of this and watch for any symptoms.

As I considered the risks and benefits of a COVID vaccine for Cole, it was an easy decision. If you have concerns about the COVID vaccine for your child, please talk to your doctor.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), unvaccinated individuals are 6 times more likely to be infected with COVID-19 and nearly 12 times more likely to die from the virus compared to those who are fully vaccinated. (source: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#rates-by-vaccine-status)

Doses are smaller for this age group

One question I’ve heard from multiple parents is whether the dosage of vaccine is the same for kids as it is for adults and older children. The answer is that your young child will receive a smaller dose of the COVID-19 vaccine than you did.

According the American Academy of Pediatrics, vaccine trials for young children showed a strong immune response in those who received 10 microgram doses (one-third of the adult dosage) and common reactions such as fever and soreness were significantly reduced.

Reminder to parents: Get your flu shot and COVID-19 booster

It is important to remember that flu season is upon us, which carries its own health risks. When Cole and I were at the pharmacy to get his COVID-19 vaccine he got his flu shot at the same time. (What a trooper!) It is such a relief to know he will be protected from both of these potentially serious illnesses, and we are grateful for the added protection as we plan to enjoy the holiday season with family and friends.

In order to help protect kids from serious illness, it’s important for parents to be immunized against the flu as well. If you haven’t already, go get a flu shot as soon as possible. And while you’re there, sign up for your COVID-19 booster if you are eligible.

Final thoughts and advice

As a nation, we’ve been waiting for this approval for a long time. The drastic increase in childhood COVID-19 cases over the summer led to record high pediatric hospitalizations and helped to fuel the overall uptick in cases, hospitalizations and deaths from the delta variant. Now, parents can take action.

My advice is to talk to your family doctor or pediatrician about any questions or concerns you have, and then get your child’s vaccination appointment scheduled as soon as possible. The sooner we have school-age children vaccinated against COVID-19, the sooner we can all breathe a sigh of relief and continue down the path of bringing this pandemic to an end.