COVID-19 vaccines for children

Abstract

Earlier this month, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended Pfizer's COVID-19 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine for children between 5 and 11 years of age-that's 28 million children. Yet surveys show that 42 to 66% of parents of these children are reluctant or opposed to seeking this protection. Without vaccination, it is likely that almost everyone-including young children-will be infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at some point in their lives. So, the question for parents and caregivers is: Which is worse, vaccination or natural infection?