Recently, booster shots have been approved for 12-15 year olds, if you didn’t already know.
The reason why booster shots are important is because the shot gives you the ability to better fight against COVID-19. More specifically, the booster gets the body to produce more antibodies, which are proteins from your body that fight against disease.
The key is that your immune system needs help, and the booster shot provides support for your body. Therefore, scientists have recommended that 12-15 year olds get booster shots. In fact, the Centers for Disease Controls has recommended that children who are 12-15 years old get the booster shot five months after the second dose.
In terms of safety and side effects, the research shows that they are safe, but you will likely have some short term side-effects. First, when it comes to safety, you can mix and match different vaccines, and it will be effective against severe illness. This is according to Harvard Medical School.
When it comes to side effects, according to Hackensack Meridian Health, you may experience a headache, fever, body aches and pain from the shot. Some people even get so sick that they’re in bed for 24-48 hours. The difference is that some people may have severe side effects, and others may not. Either way, the research shows that people recover over the next few days. Keep in mind, the health benefits outweigh the cost of the side effects, because according to CDC, it helps you get improved protection against the coronavirus, and clinical trials also show that booster shots help prevent severe illnesses as well.
In addition, boosters help older adults prevent severe illnesses or perhaps even death as Hackensack Meridian Health suggests. The booster shots not only help 12-15 year olds, but also help older adults as well, who are actually more susceptible to the virus.
John Hopkins University suggests that when you initially get the booster shot, your arm might be sore, and have lots of aches around your body, but that just means the vaccine is working and building protection to help your immune system.
In fact, Milo Milgram in our school says that “Booster’s are good because they can help you protect you from other COVID variants.”