Are there any long-term side effects or risks to children from the vaccine?

Doctors and scientists are confident in the long-term safety of the COVID-19 vaccines for several reasons.

First, the Pfizer mRNA vaccine has been used for over a year and has proven its safety and effectiveness in millions and millions of people. 

Second, mRNA vaccines are not new technology. Scientists have been studying and working with mRNA vaccines for decades for flu, Zika, rabies, and cytomegalovirus (CMV), and for cancer treatments. Decades of studying mRNA have shown no long-term side-effects. 

Third, negative effects generally occur within 6 weeks of receiving a vaccine, and the clinical trial monitored this for a longer period. Millions of doses have already been administered in the U.S. and Canada.

Fourth, we are very confident in the track record of Canada’s vaccine approval and safety monitoring system. Overall, this means that the end data and safety tests for COVID-19 vaccines are exactly the same as other vaccines that have been approved in Canada for decades. Canada’s system has proven time and again that the data necessary to get through the approval process is sufficient to prove safety, even for the long-term.

When considering long-term risks, a COVID-19 infection is a much more serious risk for children than the vaccine.  

Further Reading:

Long-term side effects: what we know (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)

COVID-19: Long-term effects (Mayo Clinic)