Later clinical trials suggested that the shots were similarly effective in children ages 5 to 15, according to the CDC. Late-stage clinical trials found that the vaccine was 95% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infections in people ages 16 and older, according to a report in the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) published in December 2020. "The inflammation, in most cases, gets better on its own without treatment," according to Yale Medicine. "These reports are rare, and the known and potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks, including the possible risk of myocarditis or pericarditis," the CDC notes. Rarely, inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis) and inflammation of the saclike membrane surrounding the heart (pericarditis) have been reported in teens and young adults who received the shot. (The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is also available as a booster, but Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna would be recommended, the CDC states.)Ĭommon side effects include pain, redness and swelling at the injection site tiredness headache muscle pain chills fever and nausea. Individuals ages 12 to 17 can only get a Pfizer-BioNTech booster, but older people can get either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, the CDC notes. In the U.S., everyone aged 12 and older is now recommended to get a booster shot at least five months after completing their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series. The vaccine is administered in two doses given 21 days apart. Once injected into the body, the vaccine instructs human cells to build the spike protein, and the immune system learns to recognize and attack it, according to the CDC. (The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine must be stored at minus 94 F (minus 70 C) to remain viable, according to The New York Times.) To build the vaccine, scientists place the mRNA inside a small bubble of fat, called a lipid nanoparticle the shot also contains several salts and sugars, to help keep the vaccine's ingredients stable while it's manufactured, frozen, shipped and stored. A molecular cousin of DNA, mRNA contains instructions to build specific proteins, and in this case, the mRNA in the vaccine codes for the coronavirus spike protein. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine uses a molecule called messenger RNA (mRNA) as its base, the CDC notes. Related: 11 surprising facts about the immune system The full approval allows the vaccine to be used in individuals ages 16 and older meanwhile, the vaccine can be given to children ages five to 15 under an emergency use authorization, as it's yet to be fully approved for this age group, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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