Our son is 12 years old so meets the minimum age for the Pfizer vaccine (approved for 12 and up). The rest of us, all older, have completed our vaccines.
I’ve been hesitating this week regarding his vaccination. There have been amplified reports of a statistically significant rise in myocarditis and pericarditis in vaccinated adolescents and young adults. Especially in males. These are potentially life threatening side effects and are occurring with both Pfizer and Moderna shots.
Given a healthy 12 year old boy is unlikely to have a severe case of Covid the decision isn’t the no-brainer it was for the rest of the family. There also isn’t much evidence that this age group is a key spreader of the virus. Maybe it would be best to wait?
I’ve made him an appointment for a vaccine on Monday and I believe we will proceed with his vaccination. Certainly doing so benefits the community since it eliminates him as a potential spreader. At the moment I feel the benefits-risks for our son is pretty much a push: a small risk of a heart problem which will probably be temporary and minor versus the small risk of a bad Covid infection leading to longer term complications. My decision is partly influenced by the most recent data showing males 16 and over are more at risk of the heart complications.