Updated October 2024
- Children ages 6 months and up should get a 2024-2025 Covid-19 vaccine
- Children who are immunocompromised should follow the guidelines recommended for them. (See below.)
COVID-19 vaccines help our bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes Covid-19 without us having to get the illness. Different Covid-19 vaccines may work in our bodies differently, but all provide protection against the virus that causes Covid-19 and are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and dying. Vaccination remains the safest strategy for avoiding hospitalizations, long-term health outcomes, and death.
Everyone ages 6 months of age and older should get a 2024-2025 Covid-19 Vaccine. CDC recommends everyone ages 5 years and older to get 1 updated 2024-2025 vaccine. Children ages 6 months to 4 years may need more than 1 dose of updated Covid-19 to stay up to date and may require multiple appointments. Our team can help you arrange these appointments.
Where to get the COVID-19 vaccine
Children who come to UCSF or a UCSF affiliate for primary care are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine with us. Patients 6 months to 17 years must be accompanied by a parent or other adult caregiver.
To schedule an appointment, please contact your child's primary care provider. You can also ask for an updated dose of the vaccine during an already scheduled well-child visit, follow-up visit or sick visit.
At the Mount Zion location of our Pediatric Primary Care Clinic, we offer nurse-only visits specifically for vaccination throughout the clinic workday. If your child comes to Mount Zion for primary care, you can book a nurse-only appointment on MyChart or by calling the clinic and speaking with a member of our team. If your child goes to a different UCSF clinic for primary care, you can also book a nurse-only appointment using the same methods.
COVID-19 vaccines are also available through many neighborhood pharmacies, including CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid. If your child isn't a UCSF patient, we recommend scheduling an appointment at a local pharmacy, visiting California's My Turn website or contacting your child's primary care provider.
If you prefer the COVID-19 vaccine of a specific manufacturer, we recommend scheduling an appointment at your local pharmacy. At this time, Mount Zion will only be offering Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines for all age groups.
Vaccination guidelines
Find the CDC's latest guidance on vaccination.
Guidelines for immunocompromised patients
Kids who are moderately to severely immunocompromised have different recommendations on COVID-19 vaccines than kids with normal immune function.
Visit the CDC's website for details on additional doses for immunocompromised patients, including who should get them. Eligible kids can receive these shots at UCSF. Community pharmacies also offer them; you can make an appointment at California's My Turn website or www.vaccines.gov.
FAQ: Understanding the COVID-19 vaccine
Can my child get a COVID-19 vaccine?
Yes, if your child is at least 6 months old. Learn more about eligibility from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Who should and shouldn't receive the vaccine?
You should get an updated COVID-19 vaccine even if you already had COVID-19.
- Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after you recover from COVID-19 infection provides added protection against the virus that causes COVID-19.
- People who already had covid-19 and do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more likely to get covid-19 again than those who get vaccinated after their recovery
When you can wait to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine
If you recently had COVID-19, you still need to stay up to date with your vaccines, but you may consider delaying your vaccine dose by 3 months.
When you should wait to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine
If you have COVID-19, People who have COVID-19 should wait to get vaccinated to avoid potentially exposing healthcare personnel and others during the vaccination visit
Learn how long to stay home and away from others if you have respiratory virus symptoms.
If you have multisystem inflammatory syndrome
Children and adults who have (or have recently had) multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) should wait to get vaccinated until they:
- Recover from being sick and
- It has been 90 days since they were diagnosed with MIS-A or MIS-C.
Are COVID-19 vaccines safe for kids?
We know that COVID vaccines are safe and effective for kids age 6 months and up. This is based on data from clinical trials involving thousands of children. Because most negative effects from this type of vaccine – called an mRNA vaccine – occur within six weeks of receiving the shot, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked the manufacturer to provide eight weeks of safety data after the last dose. None of the children vaccinated in these trials experienced severe side effects.
A very small percentage of people may have a severe allergic reaction, called anaphylaxis, to any vaccine, including a COVID-19 vaccine. If anaphylaxis occurs, vaccine providers have medication on hand to treat it immediately.
Some parents have expressed concerns about the vaccine. Here are the facts on a few common misconceptions:
Myth: Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is a safer and more dependable way to build immunity to COVID-19 than getting sick with COVID-19.
Fact: COVID-19 vaccination causes a more predictable immune response than an infection with the virus that causes COVID-19.
Myth: The ingredients in COVID-19 vaccines are safe.
Fact: Nearly all the ingredients in COVID-19 vaccines are also ingredients in many foods – fats, sugars, and salts.
Myth: COVID-19 vaccines do not cause new variants.
Fact: New variants of the COVID-19 virus happen because the virus that causes COVID-19 constantly changes through a natural ongoing process of mutation (change).
How long before the COVID-19 vaccine takes full effect?
As with adults, children are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the last dose of their primary series. For most children, this will be after their first dose. For children ages 6 months to 4 years who receive Pfizer, it's after the last recommended dose . Until then, your child should continue following all the usual COVID-19 precautions.
Are there side effects?
Side effects after getting a COVID-19 vaccine can vary from person to person. Some people experience a little discomfort and can continue to go about their day.
Others have side effects that affect their ability to do daily activities. Side effects generally go away in a few days and tend to be mild and temporary, like those experienced after routine vaccinations. Even if you don’t experience any side effects, your body is building protection against the virus that causes COVID-19.
Common side effects can include:
- Pain, swelling, and redness on the arm where the shot was given.
- Tiredness, headache, muscle pain
- Chills
- Nausea
- Fever
Relieve Common Side Effects
- It is not recommended to take pain relievers or medicines, such as ibuprofen, aspirin (only for people ages 18 years or older), or acetaminophen before vaccination to try to prevent side effects.
- Talk to your doctor about taking over-the-counter pain relievers after your vaccine.
- If possible, get some rest.
To relieve pain or swelling on the arm where you got the shot:
- Apply a clean, cool, wet washcloth over the area.
- Use or keep moving your arm.
To reduce discomfort from fever:
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Dress in comfortable clothes.