If your child mistakenly a dosage intended for a different age group, please contact their primary care provider immediately. Your child should not seek an additional dose of any COVID-19 vaccine before consulting with a provider.
In clinical trials for the Pfizer pediatric vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, a 30-mcg dose of the vaccine tended to cause more side effects among children than the U.S. FDA-authorized 10-mcg dose. Typical vaccine side effects may include tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, nausea, and pain, redness, or swelling around the injection site. If the redness or tenderness at the injection site get worse after 24 hours, or if the side effects are worrying or do not seem to be going away after a few days, seek medical care.
Pediatric COVID-19 vaccines are in vials that are different sizes and colors than the adult/adolescent vaccines. Pediatric vaccines must also be administered with smaller needles than those used for administration of the adult/adolescent vaccines. These safeguards help ensure that children receive the correct, pediatric vaccine.