A: Don’t wait. Get the vaccine authorized for kids aged 5-11 years. TL; DR The lower dose produces a strong immune response in kids and may have fewer side effects. Here’s why getting the dose for kids that is based on their current age is recommended: 1. The immune response in kids is easily stimulated Read more…
Last year, we went to the mat to save one of our favorite holidays, and thanks to #ScienceFacts, this year is going to be even safer than last year. Even Dr. Fauci says trick-or-treat is a go. Just remember to use all your #SMARTS! 
Space: stay 6 pumpkins apart from other groups 
Mask: Read more…
The COVID-19 vaccine is almost here for children age 5 and up! How do I help prepare my child for the vaccine? A: Hooray! An FDA advisory panel has recommended the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children age 5 to 11 and the US will hopefully see final authorization from the CDC and FDA next week. Read more…
TODAY IS THE DAY! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration meets to discuss KIDS vaccines TODAY (October 26th)! The FDA released summary documents ahead of today’s VRBAC meeting which foreshadowed their assessment of the current evidence for vaccinating 5-11-year-olds. 
TL;DR: The FDA estimates that vaccine benefits “clearly outweigh” the risks for this age group. Read more…
AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! It’s the news we’ve all been waiting for!!! FDA will review the Pfizer vaccine for kids ages 5-11 on October 26!! On October 1st, the FDA announced that it “anticipates receiving a request from Pfizer to amend its emergency use authorization to allow the use of its COVID-19 vaccine in children 5 through 11 Read more…
Reminder: Masks can be worn safely by most children. There are very few reasons for children to be exempt from wearing a mask in school. 
There is a lot of confusion around who can qualify for a medical exemption from a mask, especially as children are getting back to school. Many hospitals and Read more…
A: A better innate immune response may explain milder COVID-19 disease in kids, but they still CAN and DO get infected and transmit SARS-CoV-2, especially the more transmissible Delta variant. 
TL;DR. Children have fewer ACE2 receptors, a more robust innate immune system, and produce more anti-viral proteins (like type 1 interferons) than adults. These Read more…
BIG NEWS: Pfizer reports out on vaccine data for kids 5-11 And the data look good! Here’s the punchline via CNBC: ” Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid vaccine is safe and appears to generate a robust immune response in a clinical trial of kids 5 to 11, the drugmakers announced. The companies tested a Read more…
Today’s news about vaccine for younger kids: From the article: “The makers of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will soon ask regulators to approve its use in children 5 years and over, and are getting ready to make smaller doses of the vaccine for younger children, according to one of the founders of BioNTech, the German company Read more…
Nerdy Girls Dr. Aparna Kumar and Dr. Ashley Ritter on tips for parents facing another uncertain school year: ”Focus on what is controllable without trying to control everything.” and “Think outside the box to maintain things that are important to your child but can’t happen as planned.” Read more here: NBC News: How moms Read more…
We know this is a HOT topic among parents sending their kids back to school right now, and we wanted to share some recommendations from aerosol scientist and Nerdy Girl favorite Dr. Linsey Marr and her colleague Dr. Aaron Prussin from Virginia Tech. We are posting their advice below: “The most important factors to consider Read more…
This week the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their guidance to *recommend* Covid-19 vaccination for EVERYONE ages 12 and older, including those who may be pregnant, breastfeeding, or who are trying to get pregnant. Previously the CDC had stated that “If you are pregnant, you *can* receive a Covid-19 vaccine.” Read more…
A: Delta and a fourth wave of COVID-19 was not the plan. In this unfortunate reality, focus and flexibility will go a long way. Back-to-school will be bumpy. The timing of the Delta surge in the United States is overlapping with the return to classes for students. This is complicated, frustrating, scary (and many other Read more…
