Resources to Promote COVID-19 Vaccines for Children & Teens
On this page, find a suite of digital and downloadable resources to help promote COVID-19 vaccination for children and teens.
- COVID-19 Vaccines for Children – Learn what to expect for COVID-19 vaccines for children.
- What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens – Learn more information on COVID-19 vaccines for children and why they are important.
- Recognizing Potential Side Effects in Young Children after COVID-19 Vaccination – Prepare parents, caregivers and children for potential side effects after receiving their COVID-19 vaccination.
- 6 Things to Know About the COVID-19 Vaccine for Children – Get facts and information about the COVID-19 vaccine for eligible children.
- COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens – Learn about the importance of COVID-19 vaccination in children and teens.
- Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination for Children – Get answers to commonly asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination for children and teens.
- COVID-19 Vaccination for Children and Teens with Disabilities – Find information and resources about COVID-19 vaccination for children and teens with disabilities.
- V-safe After Vaccination Health Checker – V-safe uses personalized health check-ins that allow parents to report how their child feels after COVID-19 vaccination.
- About the COVID-19 Vaccine: Frequently Asked Questions (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- COVID-19 Vaccination for Children – Up-to-date information and resources for jurisdictions, healthcare providers, pharmacists, schools, and community partners on available vaccines, and how to help eligible children get vaccinated.
- Equity in Childhood COVID-19 Vaccination – Learn what work is currently being done and get resources to improve vaccine access in your community.
- Vaccinating Children with Disabilities Against COVID-19 – This page includes strategies to improve COVID-19 vaccine accessibility for children with disabilities and special healthcare needs.
- COVID-19 Vaccination Clinical and Professional Resources
- Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccines | CDC
- Administration Overview for Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine | CDC
- Myocarditis and Pericarditis Following mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination – Reports are rare, given the hundreds of millions of vaccine doses administered.
- Coadministration of Vaccines – COVID-19 vaccines may be administered without regard to timing of other vaccines.
- CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccination Field Guide – Learn how other medical professionals have made vaccination standard among their patients.
- COVID-19 Vaccine: What Pediatricians Can Do Now (American Academy of Pediatrics)
Talking with Parents and Caregivers:
- Quick Conversation Guide on COVID-19 Vaccines for Children – Prepare to address common questions and misinformation parents and caregivers may have about the COVID-19 vaccine for children.
- Online Course: Effective COVID-19 Vaccine Conversations (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Conversation Guide: Pediatric Vaccinations (National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants)
- Talking with Patients about COVID-19 Vaccination – Information on how providers can use motivational interviewing techniques to have conversations about vaccination.
- About mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines – To address additional questions, share this video from the American Academy of Pediatrics with parents and children on COVID-19 and kids: How mRNA vaccines work.
- Pediatric Edition of CDC’s Vaccinate with Confidence Strategy – Sign up for CDC’s State of Vaccine Confidence Insight Reports, which include analyses of misinformation and disinformation circulating via social media – as well as messaging to address it.
Customizable COVID-19 Vaccination Letter
This sample letter template has information about COVID-19 vaccination for children who are eligible and is designed for providers and partners to send to parents and caregivers. It may also be adapted and used in blogs, email communication, newsletters, etc. and can be customized with contact information. Highlighted content indicates information that may be tailored based on the vaccine provider’s needs.
AUTHOR: [insert office, clinic, vaccination event name]
TITLE: COVID-19 vaccination for children: What you need to know
COVID-19 vaccines are available for children ages 6 months and older. We are excited to offer vaccines at our [insert office, clinic, or other location] to help protect children against COVID-19. Getting children vaccinated against COVID-19 can help keep them from getting really sick if they get COVID-19. Vaccinating children can also help relieve the strain on families by providing greater confidence in children participating in childcare, school, and other activities.
Schedule [insert link to organizational scheduler] or call [insert phone number] to schedule your child’s COVID-19 vaccine today.
We know parents and caregivers have questions and want more information. Here's what you need to know.
Children of all ages can get very sick from COVID-19.
Children can get infected with COVID-19, get very sick, suffer short- and long-term health complications, and spread COVID-19 to others.
{INSERT QUOTE FROM SPOKESPERSON. Suggested quote: “In children who have been infected with COVID-19, we have seen a range of symptoms , from very mild to serious illness, and in some cases even requiring hospitalization. That’s why we recommend COVID-19 vaccination for all children ages 6 months and older to help protect them.”} says [NAME and TITLE].
COVID-19 vaccination is safe and effective for children.
COVID-19 vaccination has been studied carefully in children. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the expert panel that works with them have reviewed the data from clinical trials. Through ongoing safety monitoring, vaccination for children continues to be safe and effective. Here are some important points about COVID-19 vaccination for children:
- COVID-19 vaccine dosage is based on age on the day of vaccination, not by size or weight. Children get an age-appropriate dose that is the right amount for them.
- The safety of COVID-19 vaccine continues to be monitored. Serious health events, including severe allergic reactions and myocarditis and pericarditis, after COVID-19 vaccination are rare.
- The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination for children outweigh the risks and potential serious complications of getting infected with COVID-19.
Side effects may occur and are mild and temporary.
Your child may have some side effects after getting vaccinated. These are normal and usually go away in a few days. Some common side effects are:
- Pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site
- Tiredness
- Headache
- Muscle pain, chills, or fever
- Irritability or crying
- Loss of appetite
- Fever
Some children will have no side effects and serious reactions are rare. If your child experiences a severe allergic reaction after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, we are ready to respond. Most of the time, the only things your child might need after vaccination is rest, a non-aspirin pain reliever, and a cool washcloth at the injection site. Contact us if you need more information about treating potential side effects.
After vaccination, enroll your child in v-safe, which provides personalized and confidential health check-ins to share how your child feels.
Schedule [insert link to organizational scheduler or insert number to call] your child’s COVID-19 vaccine today.
Contact us with any questions at [insert contact info].
Templates for Blogs/Articles, Newsletters, Social Media, and Website Blurbs
These templates can be used for newsletters, emails, social media, and website blurbs by partners to address and encourage COVID-19 vaccination for children among parent and partner audiences.
Key points include:
- Eligibility of COVID-19 vaccination: CDC recommends COVID-19 primary series vaccines for everyone ages 6 months and older, and if eligible, COVID-19 boosters for everyone ages 5 years and older. Find more information on how to ensure children stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccine at Stay Up to Date with Your COVID-19 Vaccines | CDC.
- Availability of COVID-19 vaccination: Talk to your healthcare provider about a COVID-19 vaccination during your child’s next check-up. To locate a vaccination site near you, speak to your child’s healthcare provider, your local health department, or visit vaccines.gov.
- COVID-19 safety research: Continued safety monitoring has determined COVID-19 vaccination is safe for children and teens. COVID-19 vaccinations have undergone, and will continue to undergo, the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history.
- COVID-19 effectiveness research: COVID 19-vaccines are effective at preventing possible severe complications from COVID-19. Learn more about Why Children and Teens Should Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19.
- COVID-19 vaccination protection: Vaccination is the best way to protect your child against severe disease, hospitalization, or death from COVID-19 and can provide greater confidence in them participating in school and their favorite activities.
You can download and customize the templates to fit your needs. Each template also includes lists of additional web resources for parent and partner audiences.
- Back to School Pediatric COVID-19 Parent Friendly Blog Post/Article [DOC – 18 KB]
- Back to School Partner Newsletter Template for Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccination [DOC – 17 KB]
- Partner Website Blurbs for Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccination (Parent and Partner Audiences) [DOC – 616 KB]
Additional Resources for Schools and ECE programs:
- Customizable Content for School and Childcare-Located Vaccination Clinics – Sample letters to inform parents, school principals, and healthcare providers about upcoming school-located vaccination clinic(s).
- 6 Ways Schools Can Promote COVID-19 Vaccines – Action steps school leaders can take to support COVID-19 vaccine uptake and improve health literacy among staff, students, and families in their community.
- Best Practices for School Districts – A guide for how school district administrators can work directly with health departments and other vaccine providers such as pharmacies to set up vaccination clinics in places students and their parents know and trust.
Educational Posters and Social Media Graphics by Age Group
Download age-appropriate COVID-19 vaccine educational posters and social media graphics to use in exam rooms, waiting rooms, classrooms, websites, and on your social media channels.
- Five (5) 8.5×11 Posters
- Five (5) 1080×1080 Social Media Graphics
- Six (6) 8.5×11 Posters
- Six (6) 1080×1080 Social Media Graphics
- Five (5) 8.5×11 Posters
- Five (5) 1080×1080 Social Media Graphics
- Vaccines for Children (National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants)
- COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign Toolkit (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- We Can Do This: Resources about COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)