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COVID-19 vaccines for kids: What you need to know
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What COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for kids?
How did the FDA determine the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in kids ages 12 through 15?
What are the side effects of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 12 through 15?
Can COVID-19 vaccines affect the heart?
Is there any research on the long-term effects of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine?
If children don't frequently experience severe illness with COVID-19, why do they need a COVID-19 vaccine?
How does the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine work?
Is there any difference in the ingredients or dosing of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for people age 16 and older and for children ages 12 through 15?
Are there any children who shouldn't get the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine?
Can a COVID-19 vaccine give a child COVID-19?
Can a COVID-19 vaccine affect fertility or menstruation?
How can children ages 12 through 15 get a COVID-19 vaccine?
How soon can a child get a COVID-19 vaccine before or after getting another vaccine?
What can my child do after getting a COVID-19 vaccine?
How does the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine work?
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine uses messenger RNA (mRNA). Researchers have been studying mRNA vaccines for decades.
Coronaviruses have a spikelike structure on their surface called an S protein. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines give instructions to immune cells for how to make a harmless piece of an S protein. After vaccination, cells begin making the protein pieces and displaying them on cell surfaces. The immune system recognizes the protein and begins building an immune response and making antibodies. Once the protein pieces are made, the cells break down the instructions and get rid of them.
The mRNA in the vaccine doesn�t enter the nucleus of the cell, where DNA is kept.
