Amidst the growing concerns about the newer variants like BA.5 with the capacity to thwart the immune protection from vaccines and previous infections, and the entry of additional vaccines in our repertoire, parents seem to be confused about whether they should delay their kids’ second COVID vaccine or not. Also, the previous findings of boosted immunity among those who waited between the first two shots, have added even more confusion.
Although the CDC’s recommendation of waiting three to eight weeks between the first two doses of the Pfizer vaccine for children 6 months – 4 years and waiting four to eight weeks between the first and second Moderna shots for children 6 months – 5 years seem cautionary; many scientists think that might be overblown given the very rare side effects associated with vaccines.
Since the newer variants are sweeping the world, scientists think that it is better to fully vaccinate young children sooner rather than waiting longer based on the not-well-known benefit of boosted immunity among those with longer gaps between the doses, and urge everyone to think about the long-term benefits of vaccines and how it outweighs the risk of potentially contracting COVID-19 during the wait.
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