BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for kids 12 and older for week, but parents still have a lot of questions.
Experts at UAB tried to answer those questions Monday during a Facebook Q&A.
Mostly, parents want to know how well this vaccine has been tested and if the trails have shown it’s safe for their kids and teens without significant risks.
During the Q&A, Dr. David Kimberlin, a professor at UAB and affiliate of Children’s of Alabama’s Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, says, “What we learned from that 2,300 or so adolescent trial is that younger adolescents have an even stronger immune response. They have an even better immune response than 16-25 year old's for instance… It’s the best way to protect your child and truly to protect your community and the schools we all want children to be able to go back to.”
Parents asked about possible issues with menstruation in young ladies after getting the vaccine.
Dr. Rachael Lee says this hasn’t been studied yet.
She references the viral posts that have people concerned. Some women are reporting changes in their cycles on social media. But, during the Q&A, Dr. Lee says no menstruation issues have been filed on the CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Effect reporting system.