The Claim:
U.S. Senator Rand Paul tweeted a claim that the CDC’s advice for three COVID shots for young children is unnecessary since there aren’t studies showing they lower hospital visits or serious illness in that age group.
The Facts:
In children, children need 3 doses of the Pfizer vaccine only to be considered fully vaccinated. The Moderna vaccine is only two doses. Whether two or three doses, the full series protects children at the best levels possible with these vaccines.
Additionally, studies have shown that COVID vaccines help prevent severe illness in children, including reducing the risk of hospitalization and severe outcomes like multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). While hospitalization rates for COVID-19 are generally lower in children than adults, they are still significant, particularly among young children and infants who have not yet developed robust immune defenses. Clinical trials and real-world data support the vaccine’s efficacy in reducing severe outcomes.
Stories like Ethan’s remind us why it’s worth protecting children against the worst effects of COVID.