Protecting Our Future: COVID-19 Vaccination Insights for Parents
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how quickly life can change, especially for busy parents juggling the demands of family and health during challenging times. During the 2021-2022 respiratory virus season, when the Omicron variant emerged, 11 out of every 100,000 children were hospitalized due to COVID-19 on average each month.¹ As of the last 2023-2024 season, this average has decreased by more than 60% potentially due to the widespread availability of updated vaccines.¹ With the school year underway and holidays in full swing, keeping your family healthy can feel overwhelming.
Here’s what every parent needs to know about safeguarding children against COVID-19 this season.
COVID-19 and Children:
While children often experience milder symptoms than adults, COVID-19 can still have serious consequences.² Since the pandemic began, children have accounted for about 18% of all U.S COVID-19 cases.³ In general, kids are less likely than adults to become seriously ill.² However, some health issues, such as obesity, diabetes, having a chronic disease, or weakened immune system can raise a child’s risk of being hospitalized for COVID-19.⁴
Additionally, some children may face longer-term challenges. About 10% to 20% of children who contract COVID-19 may develop symptoms lasting for at least 3 months or more, often referred to as Long COVID.⁵ Updated vaccines have become widely available in the United States, and hospitalization rates have overall declined in children since the start of the pandemic due to widespread vaccination rates.⁶ Staying up-to-date on vaccinations not only reduces the likelihood of severe illness but also lowers the risk of these prolonged effects.⁷
The Role of Vaccination:
Vaccines remain a cornerstone of COVID-19 protection.⁸ The CDC now recommends that everyone ages six months and older receive the latest COVID-19 vaccine.⁸ Vaccination is vital even for those who’ve had prior infections, as immunity wanes over time.⁹
For children who recently had a COVID-19 infection, the CDC may recommend waiting up to three months (90 days) from their first symptoms—or if the infection was asymptomatic, a positive test—to get their updated COVID-19 vaccine.⁸ If you're unsure when or where to vaccinate, your child’s healthcare provider is an excellent resource. You can also visit http://www.vaccines.gov/ for local vaccine availability.
What About Pregnant Moms?
Knowing the increased risks that COVID-19 poses to kids too young to be vaccinated, particularly those infants under 6 months, it’s critical to adopt protective measures for expecting mothers and those around them.¹⁰ The placenta can serve as an excellent way for maternal antibodies to pass along to infants, making vaccination an easy way for moms-to-be to protect their unborn infants from COVID-19.¹¹ If you’re pregnant or have recently been pregnant, you might be more susceptible to getting sick from COVID-19 than those who are not pregnant.¹² For expecting mothers, the CDC states that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is especially important.⁸
New parents can also practice cocooning, a time-tested vaccination strategy that creates a “cocoon” of immunity to protect vulnerable people, especially infants, by vaccinating those who are in close contact with them, like parents, grandparents, and siblings.¹³ ¹⁴
Taking Steps to Protect Your Family
This winter, we have the tools to help keep COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses at bay. Staying informed and up to date with vaccinations is essential for building resilience in our communities and ensuring that children can safely thrive.
Expecting parents should speak to their healthcare providers about the potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccination for themselves and their infants. Because when we protect our children, we’re safeguarding the future.
¹https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#covidnet-hospitalization-network
²https://www.cdc.gov/acip/evidence-to-recommendations/covid-19-moderna-vaccine-6-17-years-etr.html
³https://www.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/children-and-covid-19-state-level-data-report/
⁴https://www.cdc.gov/covid/risk-factors/index.html
⁵https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/153/3/e2023062570/196606/Postacute-Sequelae-of-SARS-CoV-2-in-Children
⁶https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2817868
⁷https://www.cdc.gov/covid/vaccines/benefits.html
⁸https://www.cdc.gov/covid/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html
⁹https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2794702
¹⁰https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/whats-new/protecting-infants-and-children-from-covid-19-associated-hospitalization.html
¹¹https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11048428/
¹²https://www.cdc.gov/covid/vaccines/pregnant-or-breastfeeding.html
¹³https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9624187
¹⁴https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8251451