Vaccines for children: COVID-19 vaccination
On this page
- Impacts of COVID-19 on children and youth
- When to vaccinate children and youth
- Possible side effects
- Safety and monitoring
Impacts of COVID-19 on children and youth
Most children and youth who get COVID-19 have mild or no symptoms. However, some, including previously healthy children:
- are hospitalized for complications, such as difficulty breathing
- experience longer-term effects if they do get infected (called post-COVID-19 condition)
- get a rare but serious complication called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), which usually requires hospitalization
- most children and youth in Canada who have had this condition have fully recovered with treatment
Children and youth at higher risk
Children and youth with certain underlying medical conditions may be at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. It's especially important for children who are at higher risk to stay up to date with recommended vaccines.
Those underlying medical conditions include:
- immunocompromising conditions
- Down syndrome
- neurological disorders
- conditions that require a lot of medical care
- asthma
- obesity
If you don't know if your child is at increased risk of severe outcomes, talk to a health care provider.
Learn more about:
- Post COVID-19 condition (long-term symptoms)
- Vaccines for children: Vaccination and the immune system
When to vaccinate children and youth
All children 6 months of age and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines in Canada.
Vaccination is important, even if your child has had COVID-19. While infection alone provides some protection, vaccination after infection:
- helps improve the immune response
- provides better and longer-lasting protection
Children and youth should wait 2 months after experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or testing positive to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Contact your health care provider or local public health unit:
- if your child hasn't had their COVID-19 vaccines
- to discuss if they should receive the updated vaccine
Possible side effects
After being vaccinated, it's common to have some type of reaction because the body is working to develop an immune response. Reactions are most often mild and go away by themselves within hours to a few days. Some people have no reaction at all.
Symptoms where the injection was given include:
- redness
- soreness
- swelling
General symptoms include:
- chills
- fatigue
- joint pain
- headache
- mild fever
- muscle aches
The use of COVID-19 vaccines in children throughout the world continues to show that these vaccines are safe. Serious reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine in children and youth are very rare.
Inflammation of the muscles (myocarditis) or lining (pericarditis) of the heart is a potentially serious reaction that may occur after COVID-19 vaccination. It has occurred mainly in youth and young adults, and very rarely in children 5 to 11 years of age. In most cases, symptoms resolve quickly after seeking medical care.
Learn more about:
- COVID-19 vaccine safety and side effects: Rare reactions that have been reported
- Vaccines for children: Vaccination and the immune system
Safety and monitoring
Only vaccines that are approved after Health Canada's safety, effectiveness and quality review are used in Canada. COVID-19 vaccines are tested and studied during their development and then carefully reviewed by Health Canada.
Once a vaccine has been approved, Health Canada continues to monitor its safety and effectiveness by working with:
- provinces and territories
- other countries and international agencies
Canada has a strong vaccine safety monitoring system that continually works to detect rare side effects. If rare side effects are identified, Health Canada determines what actions are required.
Learn more about:
- Vaccines for children: Vaccine safety monitoring
- COVID-19 vaccine safety: Report on side effects following immunization
Related links
Page details
- Date modified: