Chicago Doctors Hold Townhall To Discuss Safety Of COVID Vaccine For Kids

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Many parents have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine for their kids.

On Wednesday, Advocate Aurora Health hosted a Facebook townhall to reassure parents the vaccine is safe and will protect their kids from the coronavirus.

"Twenty-two percent of all COVID cases were pediatric cases," said Doctor Markeita Moore, a pediatrician at Advocate Children's Hospital.

"In that 12-18 age range, there's a 20% transmissibility," said Doctor Frank Belmonte, Chief Medical Officer at Advocate Children's Hospital. "So even if they don't get really sick from the virus, they can spread it to family members or to other vulnerable members of the community."

He added "we don't understand the long term effects of the COVID virus, so protecting yourself is really important. We don't know what's going to happen five years down the line."

They urged patients with questions about the vaccine to talk to their pediatricians, but said as soon as it's approved for your child's age group to sign up and get it. The pediatricians also talked about summer safety, and if kids can still go to summer camp if they haven't yet gotten vaccinated.

"Yes, you can if the summer camp is going with the CDC's guidelines as far as safety, as far as masking, social distancing when possible, being outside and hand washing," added Doctor Moore.

Regularly scheduled immunizations cannot be given at the same time as the COVID vaccine. So if your child is due to get the MMR or TDap booster, they'll have to wait six weeks after getting the COVID shot.