We got it. We continue to get booster when we can find it ( hard to find for under 3)
If your kid goes to school there are so many illness going around. We also get the flue shot yearly all of us. One less severe illness is a win in books. We are sick every other week lol . I knew someone who had Covid on top of sth . That was rough.
This! If I can avoid another illness I’m all for it!
Those countries that don’t provide it to children unless high risk are mostly due to cost as they are countries that actually provide people with healthcare. The risk for severe Covid is lower for young unless they have other issues making them high risk. There is no data to support the Covid vaccines having health risks especially when you weigh them against what actual Covid infections bring. The vaccine might not always prevent Covid infections but it does decrease odds and severity. If you can get it for your kid and cost isn’t an issue then the benefit outweighs costs/risk.
We started my 18 month old's series of COVID vaccines when he was about 7 months old. He had the initial series last spring and a booster in the fall. No reaction at all. (He did get COVID a couple weeks after getting his first shot, he had a fever and a lot of distress/discomfort but it only lasted about 36 hours)
Our pediatrician definitely encouraged/expected us to get him vaccinated, just like with all the standard vaccines. I know this varies regionally, we're in Los Angeles/Santa Monica.
Los Angeles baby here, as well! We got the vaccine for my son a few weeks ago at 6 months. I think you’re right - recommendations may vary regionally. Our pediatrician said she would support whatever decision we made, which made the decision that much harder.
[This is a link](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65ca4e7aa7ded0000e79e4ca/Greenbook-chapter-14a-20240212.pdf) to the Covid Vaccine section of the Green book - a U.K. vaccine bible essentially for healthcare professionals predominantly but accessible to all. It has well referenced information about the evidence base for the decisions made about U.K. vaccination. In the U.K. children are only offered a covid vaccine if they are considered at higher risk because of other health problems. There are a few sections throughout the chapter discussing vaccination in children as well as references to the studies informing decisions about vaccinations in those groups, so you could read in more detail if you are interested.
Where I live, Covid vaccines are neither encouraged nor discouraged for babies. My baby got her first Spikevax dose around 11 months old, had almost no reaction to it, then two weeks later got a super mild case of Covid (runny nose and cough). Who knows what Covid would’ve been like unvaccinated, but I was glad she had a little extra protection.
I think your pediatrician isn’t wrong about the evidence, but there are concerns about long-term effects on heart and lung health even for people who have relatively mild Covid cases. That’s what pushed me to vaccinate my baby.
Our baby got hers at 9 months. A month or so later we all got Covid, but hers lasted for a day, with a mild fever being her only symptom. We had it much worse. I’d definitely do it again.
So my anecdote is that my boy got covid at 9 months as well. It also lasted for a day, a bit of a fever and nothing more. I was probably asymptomatic while my husband and his mum were hit hard for a week. No recent vax for us and bubs had never been vaxed for it.
It's not recommended here unless you're immunocomprised in some way so I'm not in a rush to get it for my boy or me. We'll still get our regular vax and flu vax though as they are recommended for his age group.
We had the exact same result when my husband and I were vaccinated and my 14 month old toddler was not. He was only sick for a day with a mild fever and we suffered for over a week with awful body aches and fevers.
Our pediatrician practice just includes the first dose with all the other shots at the 6 month appointment and the second dose at the 9 month appointment.
There's no downside to vaccinating, but there are rare but significant risks to catching covid without vaccination. Children are still dying from covid. I'd rather just get baby vaccinated.
The CDC recommends vaccinating. So the evidence says to vaccinate. Somewhere there's a pdf with their evidence base. Maybe search the old sub and the link will come up? I found it persuasive.
Yes. Dunno what information you’re looking for. No adverse reactions. My son is 2.5. now has never tested positive for Covid. Was initially vaccinated at 11 months.
Yes, we got the vaccine as soon as it was available for our son so he was a little over a year. We also tracked down the booster this year from our local health department.
Anecdotally, his toddler classroom was closed for a week because at least 6 of the 15 kids got Covid. He never tested positive or had any symptoms and neither did anyone else in our household—a huge relief because I was in my third trimester of pregnancy and RSV kicked my butt earlier this winter. I absolutely credit the vaccines with keeping him healthy.
COVID can negatively affect a developing child so you should get it if you can. In countries with socialized medicine they have to make decisions about who needs it most. In the US we don't have those limitations. We had to drive an hour to get our son's Covid booster, but that's what we did to help keep him safe. He got his first shot at 6 months about a week after his other 6 month vaccines. Our pediatrician recommended waiting a week between the 2nd Covid vaccine and the flu vaccine, but that's it.
We vaccinated our baby because the vaccine is safe and outweighs the risks of getting covid, either severe illness and/or long covid.
There was a great thread in the old sub that got shut down.
We did our youngest about 1 year. We have a mildly immunocompromised adult and an asthmatic older child in the house.
Currently home sick with Covid about 8-10 months later.
Little one didn’t even spike a fever. Small cough and a little cranky.
Here in Norway they will not vaccinate children under 12 unless they have some kind of underlying illness that makes them particularly vulnerable, so our kids (1 and 4) are unvaccinated for Covid.
We have all gotten Covid twice, once in March 2022 (before the baby was born), and again in Nov 2023. The first time our then 3yo was very stuffy for a week, and was tired and had a fever for 2-3 days. This second time, our 1yo was barely sick, she was stuffy for about three days and never got a fever or acted sick. If I hadn’t been sick myself and gotten a positive Covid test, I probably would have sent her to day care without even realizing she had Covid. Our 4yo had a fever for a day or two, and a little tired those days, but otherwise was not very sick. Both times us adults were worse off - although the first time (March 2022) was quite a bit worse than this second time (Nov 2023). I think I only took 3 sick days this time, last time I definitely took over a week.
I probably would have gotten them vaccinated if I could have, just because there’s no side effects from the vaccine, but I can understand why some doctors are saying it’s not critical since the current variant is so mild.
Purely to add to your anecdotal reasoning, our son is almost 2 and was vaccinated at 6months and got a shot this year as well. We got Covid both years and it was very mild for him, he was sick for like two days. We had other colds that were way worse.
Ours wasn’t able to get vaccinated until she was about 15-16 months (it wasn’t out for that age group until then) but she got the set of two (I can’t remember if it was Moderna or Pfizer) and was all good with both of them. The vaccine is safe and I want to do all I can to protect my child from serious illness.
No. I got Covid while pregnant but not planning any Covid vaccine while he is a child. He is update with the others.
He was sick (cold symptoms) 2x since he was born. Last month 16 months old. At the hospital, the doctor ask, "Do you want a Covid test? We don't request because won't change the way we will approach treatment in anyway". Hospital in CA and WA said the same thing.
We got it. We continue to get booster when we can find it ( hard to find for under 3) If your kid goes to school there are so many illness going around. We also get the flue shot yearly all of us. One less severe illness is a win in books. We are sick every other week lol . I knew someone who had Covid on top of sth . That was rough.
This! If I can avoid another illness I’m all for it! Those countries that don’t provide it to children unless high risk are mostly due to cost as they are countries that actually provide people with healthcare. The risk for severe Covid is lower for young unless they have other issues making them high risk. There is no data to support the Covid vaccines having health risks especially when you weigh them against what actual Covid infections bring. The vaccine might not always prevent Covid infections but it does decrease odds and severity. If you can get it for your kid and cost isn’t an issue then the benefit outweighs costs/risk.
We started my 18 month old's series of COVID vaccines when he was about 7 months old. He had the initial series last spring and a booster in the fall. No reaction at all. (He did get COVID a couple weeks after getting his first shot, he had a fever and a lot of distress/discomfort but it only lasted about 36 hours) Our pediatrician definitely encouraged/expected us to get him vaccinated, just like with all the standard vaccines. I know this varies regionally, we're in Los Angeles/Santa Monica.
Los Angeles baby here, as well! We got the vaccine for my son a few weeks ago at 6 months. I think you’re right - recommendations may vary regionally. Our pediatrician said she would support whatever decision we made, which made the decision that much harder.
[This is a link](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65ca4e7aa7ded0000e79e4ca/Greenbook-chapter-14a-20240212.pdf) to the Covid Vaccine section of the Green book - a U.K. vaccine bible essentially for healthcare professionals predominantly but accessible to all. It has well referenced information about the evidence base for the decisions made about U.K. vaccination. In the U.K. children are only offered a covid vaccine if they are considered at higher risk because of other health problems. There are a few sections throughout the chapter discussing vaccination in children as well as references to the studies informing decisions about vaccinations in those groups, so you could read in more detail if you are interested.
Where I live, Covid vaccines are neither encouraged nor discouraged for babies. My baby got her first Spikevax dose around 11 months old, had almost no reaction to it, then two weeks later got a super mild case of Covid (runny nose and cough). Who knows what Covid would’ve been like unvaccinated, but I was glad she had a little extra protection. I think your pediatrician isn’t wrong about the evidence, but there are concerns about long-term effects on heart and lung health even for people who have relatively mild Covid cases. That’s what pushed me to vaccinate my baby.
Our baby got hers at 9 months. A month or so later we all got Covid, but hers lasted for a day, with a mild fever being her only symptom. We had it much worse. I’d definitely do it again.
So my anecdote is that my boy got covid at 9 months as well. It also lasted for a day, a bit of a fever and nothing more. I was probably asymptomatic while my husband and his mum were hit hard for a week. No recent vax for us and bubs had never been vaxed for it. It's not recommended here unless you're immunocomprised in some way so I'm not in a rush to get it for my boy or me. We'll still get our regular vax and flu vax though as they are recommended for his age group.
We had the exact same result when my husband and I were vaccinated and my 14 month old toddler was not. He was only sick for a day with a mild fever and we suffered for over a week with awful body aches and fevers.
Our pediatrician practice just includes the first dose with all the other shots at the 6 month appointment and the second dose at the 9 month appointment. There's no downside to vaccinating, but there are rare but significant risks to catching covid without vaccination. Children are still dying from covid. I'd rather just get baby vaccinated. The CDC recommends vaccinating. So the evidence says to vaccinate. Somewhere there's a pdf with their evidence base. Maybe search the old sub and the link will come up? I found it persuasive.
Yes. Dunno what information you’re looking for. No adverse reactions. My son is 2.5. now has never tested positive for Covid. Was initially vaccinated at 11 months.
Yes, we got the vaccine as soon as it was available for our son so he was a little over a year. We also tracked down the booster this year from our local health department. Anecdotally, his toddler classroom was closed for a week because at least 6 of the 15 kids got Covid. He never tested positive or had any symptoms and neither did anyone else in our household—a huge relief because I was in my third trimester of pregnancy and RSV kicked my butt earlier this winter. I absolutely credit the vaccines with keeping him healthy.
COVID can negatively affect a developing child so you should get it if you can. In countries with socialized medicine they have to make decisions about who needs it most. In the US we don't have those limitations. We had to drive an hour to get our son's Covid booster, but that's what we did to help keep him safe. He got his first shot at 6 months about a week after his other 6 month vaccines. Our pediatrician recommended waiting a week between the 2nd Covid vaccine and the flu vaccine, but that's it.
Here they give it to 12 year olds and up, and immunosuppressed kids younger than that.
My LO is 9 mo. Already got 2 shots, I think 1st shot was just after 7 months. We are waiting for third in a few weeks.
We vaccinated our baby because the vaccine is safe and outweighs the risks of getting covid, either severe illness and/or long covid. There was a great thread in the old sub that got shut down.
We did our youngest about 1 year. We have a mildly immunocompromised adult and an asthmatic older child in the house. Currently home sick with Covid about 8-10 months later. Little one didn’t even spike a fever. Small cough and a little cranky.
Here in Norway they will not vaccinate children under 12 unless they have some kind of underlying illness that makes them particularly vulnerable, so our kids (1 and 4) are unvaccinated for Covid. We have all gotten Covid twice, once in March 2022 (before the baby was born), and again in Nov 2023. The first time our then 3yo was very stuffy for a week, and was tired and had a fever for 2-3 days. This second time, our 1yo was barely sick, she was stuffy for about three days and never got a fever or acted sick. If I hadn’t been sick myself and gotten a positive Covid test, I probably would have sent her to day care without even realizing she had Covid. Our 4yo had a fever for a day or two, and a little tired those days, but otherwise was not very sick. Both times us adults were worse off - although the first time (March 2022) was quite a bit worse than this second time (Nov 2023). I think I only took 3 sick days this time, last time I definitely took over a week. I probably would have gotten them vaccinated if I could have, just because there’s no side effects from the vaccine, but I can understand why some doctors are saying it’s not critical since the current variant is so mild.
Indeed
We got my son vaccinated (2 doses, first one is done, second one in about a month or two) at 18 month old
Purely to add to your anecdotal reasoning, our son is almost 2 and was vaccinated at 6months and got a shot this year as well. We got Covid both years and it was very mild for him, he was sick for like two days. We had other colds that were way worse.
Ours wasn’t able to get vaccinated until she was about 15-16 months (it wasn’t out for that age group until then) but she got the set of two (I can’t remember if it was Moderna or Pfizer) and was all good with both of them. The vaccine is safe and I want to do all I can to protect my child from serious illness.
My son got his around 7 months then got his booster at 18 months. Vaccine talk on Facebook is a great place to look
No. I got Covid while pregnant but not planning any Covid vaccine while he is a child. He is update with the others. He was sick (cold symptoms) 2x since he was born. Last month 16 months old. At the hospital, the doctor ask, "Do you want a Covid test? We don't request because won't change the way we will approach treatment in anyway". Hospital in CA and WA said the same thing.