COVID-19 is among the top 10 causes of pediatric death in the U.S. Medical and public health experts, including the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend that children and adolescents age 6 months and older get a COVID-19 vaccine to help protect them from serious illness.
The vaccine is the best way to protect children from becoming severely ill or having long-lasting health impacts from COVID-19. While the risk of children and adolescents becoming severely ill or hospitalized is lower than the risk for adults, tens of thousands of children have been hospitalized with COVID-19, and the effects of the virus are unpredictable.
Updated November 9, 2023