Mission 14

Mission Details | 5-11 year-olds + COVID-19 Vaccine

Hello + welcome to our fourteenth collective mission.

With Thanksgiving 🦃 almost here + the holidays just around the corner, everyone 5-years-old and older now gets a chance to help stop the spread! Find trusted information below on the vaccine + share it with your communities online. Once you've shared, make plans to have a safe family gathering this Thanksgiving by going through our checklist at the bottom of the page.   

⛑️ How to support

1. Read up on the facts for the 5 to 11-year-olds vaccine. Review the answers to the top 5 questions asked by parents + guardians.

2. Be the answer + Share. Find downloadable shareables below along with prompts to share to your social media pages.

3. Prepare for a safe holiday season. Make this Thanksgiving + holiday season one to remember by following our recipe to stay safe + healthy. 

🔍 Trusted information on Children + the COVID-19 Vaccine

With the new, FDA-approved vaccine for 5-11-year-olds, parents + guardians have new-found concerns and questions. We have gathered the top 5 questions + answers below so that parents + guardians can make the best-informed decision possible for their families.

Q: Where can children get the vaccine?

A: Community vaccination centers, family health care providers, pediatrician’s offices, school-based clinics, and retail pharmacies all offer the free COVID-19 vaccine. Visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or call (877) VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682) to find a site near you. 


Q: When can children get the COVID-19 vaccine?

A: Starting now! The FDA has authorized, and the CDC has recommended, the vaccine for use in 5- to 11-year-olds. However, vaccine availability may vary by site, which could affect how soon children can get their first shot. Parents, caregivers, and family members of children 5 to 11 are encouraged to schedule appointments with their children’s health care provider or any pharmacy or vaccination clinic offering the Pfizer-BioNTech (age 5–11) vaccine to ensure availability.


Q: Why should children get the COVID-19 vaccine?

A: The risk of children getting severely ill from COVID-19 is lower than in adults, but it is not zero.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children now account for as many as 1 in 4 COVID-19 infections. Children with COVID-19 are at risk of getting sick, becoming hospitalized, or in some cases, dying. Children may also develop long-term illness such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) or “long COVID.”

Getting children fully vaccinated helps protect them from becoming seriously ill or developing long-term complications. Vaccination can also help reduce infection in families, schools, and our communities.

Q: Is the kids’ vaccine different from the vaccine for ages 12 and up? 

A: The kids’ vaccine is specifically formulated for children and given at a lower dose than the vaccine meant for those over 12. The dose for 5- to 11-year-olds is just one-third the adult-size dose. It is important that children 5 to 11 receive the COVID-19 vaccine product indicated for their age group.


Q: What side effects are common in children after vaccination?

A: Common side effects in children 5 to 11 after getting the shot are similar to those seen in adolescents and young adults.

On their arm where they get the shot, kids may experience:

They might also experience:

Side effects mean that the shot is working. It’s making the body’s immune system create antibodies to fight the virus if future exposure occurs. Side effects are typically mild and go away within a few days. 

📲 Be the answer + share. Want to help other families find the answers they need? Here’s where you step in! Find below easy shareables + prompts that can be posted on your social media channels, texted, emailed, or even printed. Completing this task will help those in your community find the answers they are looking for right where they are. 

Download your favorite:
Computer: right-click + save or drag image to your desktop
Mobile: press + hold, then select save

CDC: For everyone 5 + up! (Video)

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Share via Twitter

Share to Instagram Stories


Share directly from HHS (Video)

Share via Facebook

Share via Twitter

Share to Instagram Stories


🦃  Prepare for a safe holiday season. The family gathering is long overdue! Thanksgiving is almost here + that means more holidays are just around the corner. Follow + share these simple steps to create the best recipe for a safe Thanksgiving gathering. Once the little ones are vaccinated along with the rest of the family, this will be a holiday season to remember.

MISSION STATUS UPDATE
Key facts, feedback + insight on mission success.

🗓 On November 19, 2021, Mission 14 email was delivered to 4,096 Ambassadors.
⛑️ Within the first week, Mission 14 received 3823 views. 


-- The Commonwealth thanks you for your support, Ambassadors! --