Central Florida's largest hospital system is recommending that kids ages 5 to 11 get the COVID vaccine. This week, the CDC approved emergency use of the Pfizer shot for kids and Dr. Michael Keating of AdventHealth says it's safe.
"There were 3,000 children in the initial trials and it was better tolerated with less side affects than it was in the adolescent group and the adults," Dr. Keating said. "Extremely safe and no serious side affects."
Dr. Fatma Levent of AdventHealth says the kids get a smaller dose.
"It is one-third of the dose because they have seen in this age group it works very well," Dr. Levent says. "We have very good robust immune systems on the younger kids and we think that may be one of the reasons."
Dr. Levent says that, while children are less likely than others to get seriously ill or die from COVID, it does happen, making it vital that they get the vaccine. They can also spread the infection to others.
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