It’s probably going to be a tough sell to persuade most parents to have their young children inoculated against COVID-19.
Not only have the shots become politically charged in this country, there’s a reluctance from parents to put anything in their children’s bodies unless they have complete confidence that it’s both safe and necessary.
In general, the rates of vaccination for COVID-19 have been directly proportional to a person’s age. The younger the individual, the less likely they are to be vaccinated, largely because they are less vulnerable to severe illness from the virus. While more than 90% of those age 65 and over have been fully vaccinated in the U.S., the percentage drops to 30% for those age 5 to 11.
With those under 5 just cleared for the vaccine, parents will have to consider whether their child is more likely to have a bad outcome from the vaccine or from COVID. Or whether their unvaccinated child could become a carrier and make their more susceptible family members or other children deathly ill.
The safest bet for the child and everyone else is to get the shots.
