Older children, teens and adults have been able to get vaccinated for Covid-19 for months, and in some age groups, well over a year. Only the younger children were ineligible to get the vaccine.

While only 1 in 5 parents with children under the age of 5 planned to get their young children vaccinated as soon as possible, that still represents a lot of parents and children who have been eagerly waiting for the CDC to give the go-ahead to a Covid vaccine for young children.

Now, the CDC has given the green light to not one but two Covid-19 vaccines for ages 6 months to 5 years old. Both the Moderna an Pfizer vaccines have received emergency use authorization and have been shipped nationwide. Some babies and toddlers will get vaccinated as soon as today.

Watch the video below to learn more about the Covid-19 vaccines available for young children.

Many parents are hesitant to vaccine their children under the age of 5. CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen recommends that these parents talk to their pediatrician about the vaccine. If they decide to get their children vaccinated, they may even be able to get the vaccine at the pediatrician’s office instead of going to a pharmacy. 

Since there are two vaccines available for young children, parents are likely to wonder which one is better. According to Wen, “Both vaccines are safe, and both are effective.” However, it sounds like the Pfizer vaccine might be slightly more effective; although, it’s too early to know for sure. Wen explained, “Preliminary results indicate that the three-dose Pfizer vaccine is more effective at preventing symptomatic infection – though these are early studies – and both vaccines induce strong antibody levels, which correlate with protection against severe disease in older age groups.”

For parents who want their young children to be vaccinated as quickly as possible, the Moderna vaccine might be more appealing since it only requires two doses. It’s possible for young children who receive the Moderna vaccine to be considered fully vaccinated before the start of the next school year whereas children who receive the 3-dose Pfizer vaccine would not be fully vaccinated until mid-September at the earliest.

Do you have children under 5? Do you plan to get them vaccinated for Covid-19 right away? If so, would you choose Pfizer, Moderna or whichever vaccine is available?