{"id":39538,"date":"2021-05-07T11:36:52","date_gmt":"2021-05-07T17:36:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=39538"},"modified":"2025-09-04T13:59:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T19:59:18","slug":"covid-19-vaccines-for-children-and-teens-could-help-defeat-the-coronavirus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/covid-19-vaccines-for-children-and-teens-could-help-defeat-the-coronavirus\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 vaccines for children and teens could help defeat the coronavirus"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><figure id=\"attachment_39555\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-39555\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-39555 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/05\/07113229\/Kid-vaccine-Getty-tiny.webp\" alt=\"child or teen getting a COVID-19 vaccine.\" width=\"800\" height=\"528\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/05\/07113229\/Kid-vaccine-Getty-tiny.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/05\/07113229\/Kid-vaccine-Getty-tiny-300x198.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/05\/07113229\/Kid-vaccine-Getty-tiny-768x507.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/05\/07113229\/Kid-vaccine-Getty-tiny-150x99.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/05\/07113229\/Kid-vaccine-Getty-tiny-200x132.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-39555\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children as young as 12 now can get COVID-19 vaccines. Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>COVID-19 vaccines for younger teens and children could be a game changer in the efforts to defeat the coronavirus.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s because children and teens from birth to age 18 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kff.org\/other\/state-indicator\/distribution-by-age\/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">make up about one-quarter of the U.S. population<\/a>. As health officials work to get more people vaccinated, adding children to the eligible pool can dramatically increase vaccinations. Young people also will be safer going back to schools in the fall if they are fully vaccinated.<\/p>\n<p>-With new federal guidance this week, children and teens ages 12 and older now can get COVID-19 vaccines.<br \/>\n<div class=\"su-callout-box col-xs-12 col-sm-6 right\" style=\"background-color:#dce4e7; color:#2e3b44;\">\n<h2><strong>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/kids-duke-it-out-to-be-first-in-colorado-to-get-novavax-covid-19-vaccine\/\">Kids duke it out to be first in Colorado to get Novavax COVID-19 vaccine<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Here are the details:<\/h2>\n<h2><strong>Who is UCHealth vaccinating?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>UCHealth is currently providing COVID-19 vaccines for Colorado residents age 12 and older.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to get the COVID-19 vaccine:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>UCHealth is offering two options to get the COVID-19 vaccine:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Schedule an appointment through My Health Connection.<\/li>\n<li>Walk in to any of our vaccine clinics. Go to uchealth.org\/covidvaccine or click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/services\/infectious-diseases\/coronavirus-covid-19\/covid-19-vaccine\/#vaccineclinics\">here<\/a> for locations and hours.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To schedule your COVID-19 vaccine, please use My Health Connection, UCHealth\u2019s online patient portal. You do not need to be a UCHealth patient in order to get a vaccine. Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/access-my-health-connection\/\">uchealth.org\/myhealthconnection<\/a>, click on Appointments &gt; Schedule Appointment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For those 12-17 years old, f<\/strong><strong>or your first vaccine dose, you must: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bring a parent or guardian with you, <strong>OR <\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Have your parent or guardian sign the Vaccine Consent Form for Minors and bring it with you. This form can be found at uchealth.org\/covidvaccine.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Is the vaccine safe for children?<\/h2>\n<p>Yes. The Pfizer vaccine trial results show that the vaccine is safe and effective for children age 12 or older. The recent Pfizer trial included thousands of children ages 12 through 17. Clinical trial results showed that the vaccine was 100 percent effective. Of the group that received the vaccine (and not the placebo), none of them got COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p>Children had side effects similar to young adults. The main side effects are pain at injection site, fever, and feeling achy or tired. These were experienced more often after the second dose of the vaccine and went away within a few days.<\/p>\n<h2>Why should I get my child vaccinated?<\/h2>\n<p>While children are at a lower risk of serious illness from COVID-19, they make up a larger share of the new virus cases across the U.S. as more adults get vaccinated. Children can still have symptoms and spread the virus to the adults around them. And doctors don\u2019t always know which children are more likely to get seriously ill from COVID-19 and need hospital care. Getting a vaccine will lower the chance of illness for all children.<\/p>\n<p>People under age 21 make up about 25% of the U.S. population. If many children get a COVID-19 vaccine, the chance of reaching herd immunity &#8211; when lots of people are immune to a disease &#8211; goes up.<\/p>\n<p>There are many safe and effective vaccines for children for diseases like whooping cough, measles and meningitis. Providing vaccines for COVID-19 will become a standard measure of care to protect children.<\/p>\n<h2>How teens and young children can get COVID-19 vaccines through UCHealth<\/h2>\n<h3><strong>For those ages 12 to 17:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>For your first dose at a UCHealth vaccine clinic, you must:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bring a parent or guardian with you, OR<\/li>\n<li>Have your parent or guardian sign the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/30134826\/PHA10005-Pfizer-BioNTech-COVID-19-Vaccine-Consent-Minors-043021.pdf\">Vaccine Consent Form for Minors.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Be sure to bring the form with you to get your vaccine.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>There are two options to get the COVID-19 vaccine:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Schedule an appointment through\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/access-my-health-connection\/\">My Health Connection<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Walk into any of our vaccine clinics: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/services\/infectious-diseases\/coronavirus-covid-19\/covid-19-vaccine\/#vaccineclinics\">See locations and times<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>If you don\u2019t have a My Health Connection account <\/strong>or are new to UCHealth,\u00a0<a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/mychart.uchealth.org\/mychartebiz\/registration\/register\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sign up for an account<\/a>\u00a0to schedule your COVID-19 vaccine.<\/li>\n<li><strong>If you don\u2019t have access to or are unable to use a computer or smartphone, call the <\/strong><strong>UCHealth COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"tel:720-462-2255\">720.462.2255 <\/a>(Espa\u00f1ol:\u00a0<a href=\"tel:844.945.2508\">844.945.2508<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>I missed my appointment for my second dose of the vaccine. What should I do?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines both require a second dose. It is important to get your second dose within 42 days of your first dose, and we strongly recommend that you get both doses of the vaccine to help stop the spread of COVID-19 variants.<\/p>\n<h2>Where are UCHealth&#8217;s vaccine clinics?<\/h2>\n<p>Please click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/services\/infectious-diseases\/coronavirus-covid-19\/covid-19-vaccine\/#vaccineclinics\">here for the exact locations and hours for walk-in vaccine clinics at UCHealth<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Vaccines are available at the following UCHealth locations:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora<\/li>\n<li>Highlands Ranch Hospital, Highlands Ranch<\/li>\n<li>Longs Peak Hospital, Longmont<\/li>\n<li>Poudre Valley Hospital, Fort Collins<\/li>\n<li>Medical Center of the Rockies, Loveland<\/li>\n<li>Greeley Hospital, Greeley<\/li>\n<li>Yampa Valley Medical Center, Steamboat Springs<\/li>\n<li>Memorial Hospital North, Colorado Springs<\/li>\n<li>Memorial Administrative Center, Colorado Springs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>COVID-19 vaccines for younger teens and children could be a game changer in the efforts to defeat the coronavirus. That\u2019s because children and teens from birth to age 18 make up about one-quarter of the U.S. population. As health officials work to get more people vaccinated, adding children to the eligible pool can dramatically increase [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2123,"featured_media":39555,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[4859,4860,9069,392],"class_list":["post-39538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-coronavirus","tag-covid-19","tag-covid-19-vaccine","tag-infection-prevention"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - 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