1. Why is it important for children to get COVID-19 vaccine shots?
Giving children COVID-19 vaccine shots is an important part of building up immunity barrier for the entire population, as well as an important measure to block the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Children infected by COVID-19 virus may develop critical conditions or worse.
2. Are COVID-19 vaccine shots for children voluntary?
Yes, getting COVID-19 vaccine shots for children is completely voluntary.
However, schools are densely populated areas. If imported COVID-19 cases occur within schools, it is easy to spread the virus. Thus, it is recommended for children who meet vaccination requirements to get vaccinated.
3. How safe are COVID-19 vaccine shots for children?
Children and adolescents have good tolerance of the COVID-19 vaccines.
According to clinical trial data, the COVID-19 vaccines tested for children between the ages of 3 to 11 safe after vaccination. It showed the same level of safety as the group of 12 years old and above. The level of neutralizing antibodies created in children is also the same as that of adults.
4. What are the potential side effects of COVID-19 vaccine shots for children?
The main potential side effects are fever and pain around the area of inoculation.
5. Are COVID-19 vaccine shots free for children?
Yes, the vaccine is free for children between 3 to 11 years old.
6. How many doses of COVID-19 vaccine shots should children get?
Children between 3 to 11 years old should get two doses of COVID-19 vaccine shots.
7. How long do children have to wait after completing the first COVID-19 vaccine shot to get a second one?
Children between 3 to 11 years old can receive a second COVID-19 vaccine shot three weeks (21 days) after completing the first one.
8. Which type of COVID-19 vaccines can be used for children?
Currently, COVID-19 vaccines that can be used for children are the inactivated virus vaccines developed by Sinopharm's Beijing Institute of Biological Products, Sinopharm's Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, and Sinovac Biotech.
9. Can COVID-19 vaccine shots be inoculated with other vaccines at the same time for children?
In principle, COVID-19 vaccine shots cannot be administered at the same time with other vaccines, including vaccination under immunization programs.
The interval between different vaccinations needs to be more than two weeks (14 days).
Under special circumstances, such as animal bites or external traumatic injuries, the infected person should be vaccinated against rabies or tetanus regardless of the time interval.
