Which COVID-19 Vaccines Are Authorized for Children?
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend children ages 5 to 11 years old receive the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric COVID-19 vaccine. The adult version of the Pfizer vaccine is approved for children aged 12 to 17 to help protect against COVID-19.
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COVID-19 Vaccines For Children
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is an mRNA vaccine authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for children 5 years of age and older. The Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine, for children ages 5 through 11 years, has the same active ingredients as the vaccine given to adults, except it is one-third of the dose.
Additionally, there have been smaller needles designed specifically for children. Similar to the normal vaccination regimen, children are recommended to receive 2 shots, 21 days apart in the muscle of the upper arm. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine does not contain eggs, preservatives, latex, or metals. A full list of ingredients in the vaccine can be found here.
There are currently three main COVID-19 vaccines that are being administered to adults in the U.S. However, not all of these vaccines are approved for children. The chart below shows which COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized for various age groups.
COVID-19 Vaccines Authorized for Children
| Groups authorized to get vaccinated | Pfizer-BioNTech | Moderna | J&J / Janssen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 years and under | No | No | No |
| 5–11 years old | Yes | No | No |
| 12–17 years old | Yes | No | No |
| 18 years and older | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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Alexis Bryan MPH, is a recent graduate of Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health. She is passionate about increasing access to care to improve health outcomes. Outside of work, she loves to travel, read, and pay too much attention to her plants.