This content is paid for by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To find a COVID-19 vaccine near you, visit vaccines.gov; text your ZIP code to 438829 (GETVAX); or call 1-800-232-0233. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about vaccines.
We know that many parents still have questions about COVID-19 vaccines for children, so we polled the Ventura County Mom Collective audience over the last few weeks. We found that many of the questions that you had were similar among families.
Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Maya L. Eady MD, MEd, FAAP to get YOUR questions answered about COVID vaccines. We know this information will be helpful to Ventura County families as they make their decisions about vaccinating their children. Ventura County Moms, you asked and we answered!
Introducing Dr. Maya L. Eady MD, MEd, FAAP
Dr. Maya L. Eady MD, MEd, FAAP is a Pediatric Hospitalist with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
See the Full Interview Here:
(Shortly after this interview was recorded, CDC approved boosters for kids ages 5-11 and recommends them for everyone 5 and older.)
Q: Why should my child get a COVID vaccine if children are already at a lower risk for severe illness from COVID?
Dr. Maya L. Eady: While it’s true that they are at low risk, it doesn’t mean that they’re at no risk. That’s the difference for me. Also, we just don’t know how this virus is going to show up in one child versus another child. One child might have mild symptoms, the other child might have very severe symptoms and end up in the hospital.
Q: Do you have any advice for parents who have concerns about potential long term side effects of COVID Vaccines on children?
Dr. Maya L. Eady: First and foremost, I always promote talking to your child’s pediatrician, their family medicine physician or your trusted provider to have these conversations. Certainly, those providers know your children better and can help to answer some of these questions for you. But what I would say is that it’s still important to get the vaccine. We again, don’t know how COVID is going to affect some children versus others. At one point when we had the last Omicron surge, there were 5,000 children admitted in one week. We don’t want that to happen again. So, if you’re still kind of on the line about whether you should get it or not, certainly talk to your healthcare provider.
Q: Can a kid get another vaccine like the flu shot at the same time that they get the COVID vaccine?
Dr. Maya L. Eady: Absolutely. We actually encourage you to go ahead and get both. You can go into their provider and ask for the COVID vaccine and the flu vaccine. Now of course, there may be some mild side effects; headache and muscle aches.
Thank You
We are grateful to you, our community, and to Dr. Maya L. Eady for taking the time to answer your COVID Vaccine for children questions. Please share this content with your friends! #WeCanDoThis
