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Here’s What Happened When My Toddler Got the COVID Vaccine
A blow-by-blow for anyone considering the newly-approved shot for their child.
I’ll spare you the trouble of scrolling to the end to make sure my 20-month-old is okay — he is! He’s doing great. It’s been 48 hours since his vaccine, and he has had no adverse reactions. Let’s get that out of the way immediately, as I don’t intend for this to be clickbait: just a breakdown for other parents who might be interested.
My son, Andy, was born in October 2020. I had a pandemic pregnancy. Then we had a pandemic baby. Now we have a pandemic toddler. Waiting and hoping and praying for a safe, effective vaccine for children under 5 has been a hallmark of his entire existence.
And, as of June 17, 2022, the final approval for the Pfizer vaccine went through for children aged 6 months and up. I cried.
My husband and I were vaccinated in April and May of 2021, as soon as we became eligible. But the year and change since then has still been a long, hard slog of unknowns and setbacks and waiting. We were thrilled to finally have the opportunity to get our little boy protected against COVID-19.
Delirious with the good news, I assumed that getting a vaccine appointment would be a mere waltz through fairy unicorn…
