Should Children Get the COVID Vaccine, Experts Respond

During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the possibility of children 16 and under catching the virus was slim to none, however, according to an article on the website abc7news.com, Dr. Michael Osterholm, the Director of Infectious Disease Research at the University of Minnesota, was quoted as saying, "It's now a brand new ballgame."

Osterholm was referring to the B.1.1.7 variant of the virus and its effect on children. On NBC's Meet the Press, he said that this variant "infects kids very readily."

Nbcconnecticut.com reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will give emergency authorization for the Pfizer vaccine for children between 12 and 15 by next week.

Parents are asking their doctors how the vaccine could affect their children long-term. Connecticut Children's Physician-In-Chief, Dr. Juan Salazar, told NBC Connecticut that it's the actual virus that can affect the organs long-term while the vaccine generates immunity.

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Critical vaccine trials have already begun for kids as young as 6 months old to 12-years-old. The data results are expected sometime this summer. Nymag.com reports that the nation's top infectious disease specialist, Anthony Fauci, predicts that all kids will be able to receive COVID-19 vaccinations no later than the beginning of 2022.

I simply don't understand why parents would choose not to have their kids vaccinated against COVID-19. I'm not judging, I'm just curious. What are the risks of your child taking a nasty spill on their bicycle or skateboard? What about the chance of an accident while riding in the car. Could it be fear of the unknown?