COVID-19: Questions & Answers About Vaccines

Should My Child Get a COVID-19 Vaccine?

Updated COVID-19 vaccines are a safe and effective way to help protect kids from COVID-19. This is especially important for those who are high risk, including all kids between 6 months and 23 months. Talk to your doctor to see if your child is due for a vaccine.

What Is an Updated COVID-19 Vaccine?

Like the flu, the virus that causes COVID-19 changes. So, COVID-19 vaccines need to change too. An updated COVID-19 vaccine is best fit to fight against the most recent version of COVID-19 virus.

Are COVID-19 Vaccines Safe for Kids?

So far, all studies done in kids show that COVID-19 vaccines are very safe. A vaccine goes through intensive testing before people can get it. Millions of U.S. kids have been safely vaccinated.

What Side Effects Can COVID-19 Vaccines Cause?

Like many vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines can cause mild side effects, like a sore arm, body aches, headache, a fever, or tiredness for a day or two. These are signs that the immune system is responding to the vaccine and building immunity to the virus. They're not a cause for concern. More serious side effects are very rare.

Can a Person Still Get COVID-19 After They've Been Vaccinated?

Vaccinated people can still get COVID-19. But the vaccine is very good at preventing serious illness, hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19.

Can a Person Get COVID-19 From a COVID-19 Vaccine?

No, people can't get COVID-19 from a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccines contain a tiny piece of genetic material, or a tiny protein from the virus. They don’t contain the whole virus. So, people who get a vaccine can't develop COVID-19 from it.

Can a Woman Get a COVID-19 Vaccine if She Is Pregnant or Breastfeeding?

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding can and should get a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is safe for them. Pregnant women who get sick with COVID-19 are at higher risk for severe illness than women who aren't pregnant.

Can Kids Get the COVID-19 Vaccine at the Same Time as Their Routine Vaccines?

Yes. It’s safe for kids to get the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as any other vaccine.

I Got the Vaccine While I Was Pregnant, and Now I'm Breastfeeding. Should I Delay the Vaccine for My Baby?

No, don't delay the vaccine. Even though antibodies pass from a mother to her baby during pregnancy and through breastfeeding, babies should get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they are old enough so that they are best protected.