VIDEO: Addressing questions from parents about COVID-19 vaccination

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There have been some people that have developed long COVID types of symptoms after vaccination and no known infection, although it can be sort difficult to rule out an asymptomatic infection, at least temporarily in those cases and so one question I have from families is, "If I give this vaccine to my child, is it actually going to to trigger more symptoms and make them worse?"

We don't have any data as of now to suggest that that would be true, but if it can happen in the setting of vaccination, there is theoretical concern. I usually preach to parents in that setting that it's an ongoing risk/benefit analysis and that we know that there is potential worsening of symptoms with reinfection and that that risk is probably greater than with vaccination. I typically recommend it, but I do acknowledge that there could be a worsening of symptoms and we just don't know. There has been a pretty low uptake in most recent vaccine in the pediatric population.

There is, I think the last number I saw was like 2% of children have received the 2023, 2024 dose, but there are more individuals that are interested and like 40% of parents said that they would give it to their kid if they were able to get access, so the other main question I get is, "Where can I get this vaccine for my child?" And that continues to be an evolving process, so more and more pediatric practices are carrying it on a day-to-day basis and most commercial pharmacies will immunize children down to a certain age.

My advice to parents would be, you know, call your pediatrician and ask them if they have it available and if not, if they can make recommendations about somewhere else that they can get it.