The Claim:
An outspoken political figure tweets that the CDC should remove the COVID vaccine from the recommended child and adolescent immunization schedule because children aren’t at risk for COVID.
The Facts:
Although children are at lower risk of COVID-19 death and complications than other age groups, they are still at risk, despite what COVID minimizers claim.
Worldwide, COVID has caused more than 17,000 deaths in people under the age of 20. In the United States alone, COVID is responsible for the deaths of 1,600 children.
Children’s risk of long COVID or MIS-C are even more concerning. One meta-analysis found that up to 25% of children and adolescents who get COVID experience long-term effects from COVID. In the United States, there are almost 10,000 children with cases of MIS-C resulting in 76 additional deaths. COVID vaccination of children lowers the risk of these COVID complications. A recent study showed that COVID vaccination reduces the risk of MIS-C by 91% in children between the ages of 12 and 18.
Disclaimer: Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved too since this was originally posted. Be sure to check out our most recent posts and browse the latest Just the Facts Topics for the latest.
Just the Facts Newsletter:
Correcting this week's disinformation
Sign up to get a weekly look at the latest vaccination facts as we debunk the latest false vaccination claims making the rounds on the internet.