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FACT BRIEF

Does the World Health Organization now recommend against COVID-19 vaccination of children?

By Dana Ford
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NO

A social media post claiming the WHO "is now recommending that children DO NOT get the COVID-19 vaccine" lacks the context of the WHO's full guidance on vaccines for children.

The WHO says more evidence is needed regarding children and vaccines. The public health agency's webpage on vaccinations goes on to explain that children -- who tend to get less sick than adults -- are not the priority, unless they have certain health conditions that put them at higher risk.

The WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts says the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is suitable for children 12 and up. Vaccine trials for children are ongoing and the WHO will update recommendations when the evidence or epidemiological situation warrants, the agency says.

It's worth noting that WHO advice on children and vaccines is different than advice given by the CDC. The U.S. agency recommends everyone 12 and up get vaccinated.

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
World Health Organization COVID-19 Vaccines Advice
Centers for Disease Control COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.