Coronavirus Vaccine FAQs

Children's National Hospital Vaccinations

• Is Children’s National offering the COVID-19 vaccine?

  Yes. Based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Children’s National is administering the Pfizer vaccine to individuals ages 5 and older.

  • Families can obtain vaccines for their 5-11 year old by completing this form.
  • There are a number of safe and convenient options available to families seeking vaccines for their 5-11-year-old children. We encourage families to call their pediatrician, use schools and retail drug stores like Walgreens or CVS, and consider public health distribution in the county or city you live in to obtain the vaccine for your child. Families can visit www.vaccines.gov to find a location to receive the vaccine.
  • Eligible children may be offered Pfizer vaccine as part of specialty outpatient visits and during emergency department visits.
  • Children’s National and HSC inpatients who meet age requirements will also be provided the vaccine when it’s considered appropriate for them by the medical team.

• Can my dependent child get the vaccine without a parent or guardian present?

  No, one parent or guardian must be on-site to consent to their dependent child below the age of 18 getting the vaccine. Parental consent for dependent children is required at Children's National. Telephone or electronic consent is not permitted – the parent or guardian must be present at the vaccine appointment.

• Can other members of my family get a vaccine if my child qualifies for one?

  Yes, we are prioritizing individuals who are ages 5-11, but parents/caregivers and older siblings can also request vaccination from Children’s National Hospital. Walk-ins are only available up to 2 p.m. Monday – Friday. There also is ample supply of vaccines for adults in the community at public health facilities, retail drug stores and primary care doctors. Families are encouraged to find the most convenient and timely option for themselves and their children.

• How should I prepare my child to receive the vaccine?

  Make sure your child has eaten well and is hydrated prior to receiving the vaccine. The appointment itself should take only about 20 minutes. We encourage parents to discuss health concerns with their primary care physician prior to coming in for the vaccine. Questions about side effects, allergies and other topics are best answered by the child’s pediatrician.

COVID Vaccines for Ages 5-11

• Will children need two shots like adults? Will they have common short-term side effects after the second shot?

  Yes, children will receive 2 doses of the vaccine, 3 weeks apart.

  In the clinical trial, side effects were very mild and similar to what was seen in adolescents and adults (fever, fatigue, muscle pain). Pain at the injection site (where the shot went into the arm) was the most common reaction, with about three-fourths of vaccine recipients experiencing it. Most children said this pain was mild. This was seen after the first and second doses.

• Has myocarditis been seen yet for 5-11-year-old children?

  There were no cases in the trial, even though vaccine trial researchers were looking for it very specifically.

• Will kids eventually need boosters like adults?

  This isn’t known yet; all the children in the study will have antibody testing 6 months after completing the vaccine series, so more should be known soon.

• How big was the clinical trial for this age group?

  We know enough from this trial to be reassured that antibody response and common side effects are very favorable, and we know that serious side effects are not common.

  We know the rates of serious side effects from COVID-19 infection, and they far outweigh the risks of the vaccine.

• For kids who are 11, should they wait until they are 12 to get the full vaccine?

  This is an individual decision, based on each child’s individual situation. In general, we would not recommend waiting very long, and to discuss any concerns with their trusted health care provider.

• What happens if my child has their 12th birthday between shot 1 and 2?

  If your child turns 12 after they've received their first dose of the vaccine, they should get the dose for 12-year-olds for their second shot. However, if they get they get the dose for 11-year-olds, that is fine too.

• Can children with a known COVID-19 infection be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine?

  If your child has COVID-19, they should wait until they have recovered from the illness AND met the criteria to discontinue isolation before getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

• My child had multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Can they still get the vaccine?

  Patients who had MIS-C were not included in the initial trial of 5-11 year olds that Pfizer conducted on their COVID-19 vaccine. However, consensus among the health care field is that it is safe and beneficial for children with a history of MIS-C living in areas with high risk for exposure/transmission to receive the vaccine if they have clinically recovered (especially their heart function) and it's been at least 90 days since their diagnosis. If you have specific concerns about your child's individual history, we recommend reaching out to their doctor/specialist for best recommendations.

General Vaccine Information

• When will children younger than 5 be eligible for the vaccine?

  We expect to have FDA approval for the Pfizer vaccine for children under 5 in early 2022. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is urging federal agencies to support the timely, but safe, development of COVID-19 vaccines for children, to help understand any potential unique immune responses and/or safety concerns in children.

  • Pfizer was granted emergency use authorization by the FDA for children age 5-11 to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Moderna has requested emergency use authorization to administer their vaccine to children ages 12-18.
  • Johnson & Johnson is still studying their vaccines on children younger than 18 years of age.

• Which vaccines are currently available in the United States?

  There are currently three COVID-19 vaccines available — one created by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech, one created by Moderna and one created by Johnson & Johnson.

  • The Pfizer vaccine has been granted emergency use authorization to be administered to children ages 5 and older. Pfizer received full authorization for individuals 16 years of age and older in August 2021.
  • The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved for use in people aged 18 years and older.

• What did the CDC announce about myocarditis?

  In late May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began looking into reports that a very small number of adolescents and young adults developed the heart issue, myocarditis, within a week of receiving the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC received several dozen reports through routine safety surveillance mechanisms (Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting Systems or VAERS).

  Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle that decreases the ability of the heart to pump blood normally. In general, there is no evidence that congenital heart disease increases the risk of myocarditis. 

  The FDA, CDC and other public health agencies are continuing to monitor and investigate these reports and determine if there is any association or link to COVID-19 vaccination. At this time, the consensus from the medical and scientific community is that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination, and subsequent prevention of COVID-19 disease and complications of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) and Post-Acute COVID Syndrome (“long COVID”), far outweigh the rare, possible risk of myocarditis.  

  Children’s National continues to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for all eligible individuals.

• Do the vaccines have any short-term side effects?

  • The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines cause predictable common side effects (fever, fatigue, muscle pain) that are seen as a result of the body creating an immune response to the vaccine. In very rare cases, there have been reports of severe allergic reactions, which is why we observe all patients for at least 15 minutes after vaccine administration. There have been no other serious safety concerns from their vaccines. All study participants have been followed for at least 2 months after getting vaccinated to look for side effects and will continue to be followed for 1-2 years in total.
  • The CDC and FDA released guidance on April 13, 2021, recommending the temporary pause of the use of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine while they investigated several reports of a rare but severe side effect. On April 23, 2021, the CDC and FDA recommended that the use of Johnson & Johnson/Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine could resume in the United States, after a temporary pause.

• Are there any long-term side effects for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine?

  Some people have expressed concerns that the Pfizer vaccine may have long-term side effects. Although it is always important to consider the risks and benefits of any medical choice we make, there is no vaccine that has caused late-onset side effects (beginning more than 2 months after receiving the vaccine). All vaccines are made to disintegrate safely in your body. Vaccines introduce a non-harmful ingredient that looks like the true virus or bacteria, allowing your body to build antibodies against the virus/bacteria without getting infected.

  For the Pfizer vaccine, the non-harmful ingredient is mRNA. This acts like a recipe that our body uses to build protein. This protein is harmless but does look exactly like the protein on the outside of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), so our antibodies can be prepared if it sees the real virus. mRNA, however, is literally used up as it is read by the body. In fact, the end of the mRNA recipe has instructions to break down the mRNA and stop the production of the protein.

• What should parents look for after their child receives the vaccine?

  We recommend that parents monitor their children for symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath and fast or irregular heartbeat that may be consistent with myocarditis, and immediately report those symptoms to their doctor.

• Can my child stop wearing a mask after they receive vaccine?

  With the rise of variants and increasing infection rates, the CDC advises continued mask-wearing indoors in public settings. Additionally, state, local and individual business regulations still apply until otherwise noted. If you are not yet fully vaccinated, you should not stop wearing a mask and should continue to practice safety measures like social distancing and frequent handwashing to minimize the risk of contracting COVID-19. The CDC has been updating its guidelines on mask-wearing as the vaccine rates rise. View the most recent guidelines on the CDC webpage.

• Are vaccinated people protected against the delta variant?

  From what we know so far, people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 continue to have strong protection against moderate to severe COVID-19 illness, as well as hospitalization and death. However, some people may still be infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus or develop mild COVID-19 illness.

• Was Children’s National offering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to patients?

  Yes, after the FDA issued the Emergency Use Authorization for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, we developed a plan to administer the vaccine to inpatients. Between April 1 and April 12, 2021, we administered 15 doses.

• Why did Children’s National pause the Johnson & Johnson vaccinations?

  We suspended our use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine based on guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). On April 23, 2021, the CDC and the FDA recommended that the use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine could resume in the United States, after a temporary pause. We are currently only offering the Pfizer vaccine to individuals age 5-22.