The COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for children ages 12 and up. Here’s what you should know.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for adolescents making vaccination a reality for many parents who are considering taking their kids to their nearest pharmacy or hospital for their shot.

Vaccinating kids for COVID-19 can be scary for some parents, especially due to the politics and drama that surround this important moment. A survey indicates only 30% of parents were willing to take their kids to get vaccinated as soon as a shot was available. A lot of parents think of these vaccines as something different than the average flu shot.

Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe for children? Will vaccination records be necessary for rejoining school? Here’s what you should know about COVID-19 vaccines and adolescents.

Giving your child the vaccine is important

Data from Pfizer’s adolescent vaccine trials shows that the shot is 100% effective at keeping them safe from the virus. That’s more effective than it is for adults. The protection of children not only drastically reduces child hospitalization and deaths from COVID-19, but also prevent the development of new and more dangerous vaccine variants.

Side effects have been minimal

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Data from teens shows that the vaccine works fine in them, considered safe for the vast majority. About 6% of teens experienced an adverse event, including depression, constipation and abdominal pain, which weren’t found to be related to the vaccine itself. Scary side effects like blood clots or serious allergic reactions were not reported in the vaccine trials.

Will COVID-19 vaccines be required for in person school?

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While there’s been a lot of discussion about vaccine passports and events that are only available to those who’ve been vaccinated, there’s no way of knowing if schools will be enforcing this or even if they’ll be legally allowed to do so.

Some colleges and universities have been asking students to get their vaccines if they wish to attend class in person. Still, this question may change on a state by state basis and will likely be ruled by each school’s vaccination policies and guidelines.