Here are some quick facts about the COVID vaccine for kids. Having informed consent means that you are given complete information about the risks and benefits of a medical procedure, that you can decline the procedure, and that you may choose an alternative.

For a much longer exploration of COVID vaccines and kids, please see this post here.

This post is condensed into this 2-sided advocacy card, which is available in my advocacy shop.

One undeniable fact that has been well known throughout the entire pandemic has been that the severe acute respiratory disease known as COVID-19 largely spares children. This is good news!

Children are the most spared from serious infection, and conversely may benefit the most from natural immunity, which is demonstrated to protect against variants (and remember coronavirus is an RNA virus, which means it mutates often like influenza, and vaccines against influenza neither produce herd immunity nor eradicate influenza.)

The ability to develop natural immunity without serious disease is an important skillset of pediatric immune systems: so that they do have immunity in place for when they get older and become more physically vulnerable.

Here are some basic facts to know about the virus and children that you should consider before giving them a COVID-19 vaccine.

Infection:

Children are more likely to have a mild or undetected infection, even with Delta. Around 46% of child infections are asymptomatic.

SOURCE: PMID: 34011566

Prior infection:

Secret infections: The CDC estimates 38% of children already have antibodies to SARS-CoV-2.

SOURCE: FDA VRBAC Meeting.

Hospitalization:

Not related! A study found that 40% of pediatric COVID hospitalizations were “incidental” (non-COVID) and asymptomatic.

SOURCE: here.

ICU:

Out of 1.2 million infections in 0-17 year olds, only 0.8% were admitted to ICU; and 0.01% resulted in death.

SOURCE: here.

Deaths:

The lowest death rate of all. The infection fatality rate for 0-17 year olds is 0.002%, meaning 99.998% survive.

SOURCE: CDC Pandemic Planning Scenarios.

Underlying Risks:

Risk is not the same for everyone! Half of hospitalizations have underlying medical conditions: obesity, diabetes, cancer etc.

SOURCE: here.

Natural Immunity Protects Against Future Variants

“natural immunity confers longer lasting and stronger protection against infection, symptomatic disease and hospitalization caused by the Delta variant of SARS-CoV -2, compared to the BNT162b2 [Pfizer] two-dose vaccine- induced immunity.”

READ THE STUDY: here.

COVID Vaccine Facts for Kids

Vaccines Do Not Reduce Viral Load in Nose

An Oct. 2021 study found no difference in viral load between vaccinated and unvaccinated, asymptomatic and symptomatic groups infected with SARS-CoV-2 Delta.

Source: here.

Vaccines Do Not Stop Transmission

An Oct. 2021 study found the vaccine reduced onward trans- mission of SARS-CoV-2 Delta by 50% at 2 weeks post vax, waning more every week to 24% at the 12 week study cutoff.

Source: here.

Clinical Trial Too Small To Detect Issues

Pfizer’s clinical trial of 5-11 yrs contains so few children it’s too low powered to detect rare and serious safety signals. Only 1,518 children got the Pfizer vaccine, and 750 got the placebo in cohort 1, which had 2 months of followup.

Pfizer added a second cohort, cohort 2, which contained 1,591 children who got the Pfizer vaccine, and 778 who got the placebo, however this cohort had a median followup 2.4 weeks, and:

“Safety data from this cohort were provided for further assessment of SAEs and AEs of clinical interest. Data verification is in process, but not yet finished at the time this briefing book was completed.”

Please read the FDA Factsheet here.

Even Larger Trials Failed To Detect Serious Issues

Even the larger trials in ages 12 and over were not powered high enough to detect these side effects, which were only found after vaccinating hundreds of thousands, and even millions of people:

• Myocarditis – inflammation of the heart muscle – rate: For 12-17 year olds, 94-162 cases per million doses (Source)
• Pericarditis – inflammation of outer lining of heart
• Anaphylaxis – life threatening allergic reaction rate: 2.47 per 10,000 persons (Source)

• Blood Clots – life threatening clusters of platelets and red blood cells in brain, lungs, legs, could cause strokes, pulmonary embolism.

Adverse Reactions from Pfizer Trial

Systemic & Adverse Events include:

• injection site pain
• fatigue
• headache
• fever muscle pain
• chills
• joint pain
• injection site swelling and redness
• rash
• hives
• diarrhea
• nausea
• tingling limbs
• tic
• angioedema
• lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes)

Of 1518 Pfizer vaccine recipients:

• 176 had an adverse event
• 46 related to the vaccine
• 3 ‘severe’ events

For every 1 million children vaccinated, 1,976 will have a life-threatening ‘severe’ adverse event.

SOURCE: FDA.

Heart Injury After Vaccine In Teens

Myocarditis & Pericarditis: For males ages 12-17, the risk of having a heart-related adverse vaccine reaction is higher than their COVID hospitalization risk:

• 94-162 cases per million doses myocarditis risk
• 44 cases per million healthy children COVID-19 hospital risk

SOURCE: here.

Please don’t forget to read COVID vaccine injuries: real people who got the COVID vaccine and who shared their story.