Archive for vaccines
COVID vaccination in 5- to 11-year-olds: What does the science say?
The Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was approved for children ages 5 to 11 in October, but many parents have been hesitant to get them vaccinated. A national study in The New England Journal of Medicine provides reassuring data, showing that the vaccine strongly protected this age group against severe COVID-19. Dr. Adrienne Randolph at Boston Children’s ... Read More
Six tips for how families can manage Omicron
Omicron, a highly transmissible COVID-19 variant, is straining hospitals, canceling events, and emptying store shelves of test kits. It seems almost inevitable that it will find its way into households. Nearly two years into the pandemic, staying on top of COVID-19 guidance can seem exhausting. But you shouldn’t lose hope. Eventually, we will see the ... Read More
COVID-19 vaccination in 12- to 18-year-olds: What does the science say?
With a third “booster” dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine now authorized for children age 12 and older, you may be wondering about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination in teens. With months of experience — and recent research — to draw from, we now have more answers. Several recent studies led or co-led by ... Read More
Quarantining and isolating for COVID-19: Answers for families
Someone in your family has tested positive for COVID-19. You know you need to take steps to keep it from spreading — but just what does that involve? Here, we answer common questions about quarantine and isolation, based on guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). What is “close contact”? Being ... Read More
From our labs and clinics: The top 10 COVID-19 science stories of 2021
As COVID-19 waxed, waned, morphed, and waxed again this year, research was taking place throughout Boston Children’s Hospital. Ongoing national studies the hospital is leading or co-leading include Overcoming COVID-19, a CDC-funded study on COVID-19 and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C); IMPACC, examining immune responses in people hospitalized with COVID-19; and MUSIC, studying MISC’s ... Read More
Emerging protein-based COVID-19 vaccines could be game-changing
Current messenger RNA vaccines appear to offer at least some protection against new SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Omicron, especially for people who have received boosters. But manufacturing costs and the need for ultra-cold refrigeration have limited availability of these vaccines in low-and middle-income countries. That’s where emerging protein-based COVID-19 vaccines — including two candidates developed at ... Read More
‘Feeling empowered’: How vaccination helped me care for my family when one son got COVID-19
In mid-November, I awoke to an email from my children’s school stating that my second grader, Kyle, had been a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19. I wasn’t overly concerned. While this was the first “close contact” email we had received, we had previously been notified that both our children were in ... Read More
Pass the pie and a mask: COVID-19 safety tips for the holidays
This holiday season will seem different than the last one — but it’s still not the season to blissfully ignore health and safety measures that combat COVID-19. Thanks to the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, families shouldn’t feel obligated to repeat last year’s unprecedented public health guidance to hunker down at home for the holidays. This ... Read More
COVID vaccines are here for kids ages 5 to 11. Here’s what families should know.
On November 2, 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signed off on the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to help prevent COVID-19 in children ages 5 to 11. What does this mean for your child? We’ve got answers. Why is it important to vaccinate kids against COVID-19? Although most children have ... Read More
Two for one: It’s safe to get COVID and flu vaccines at the same time
Your child can greatly reduce the risk of serious illness by receiving COVID and flu vaccines in one sitting — all they have to do is roll up both sleeves. Now, getting a shot in each arm might give your child pause, but two infectious disease specialists at Boston Children’s Hospital say that a double inoculation ... Read More