COVID-19

COVID-19: What Families Need to Know

COVID-19, discovered in December 2019, quickly became a global pandemic. Millions of children and teens have since received COVID vaccines. They played a crucial role in ending the pandemic, letting kids go back to school, play sports, and spend time with friends.

Most families continue to stay up to date on recommended immunizations for their children. Childhood vaccines stop outbreaks from happening. And having the COVID vaccine available and covered by insurance has given families the benefit of protection.

Many parents are concerned about COVID and want to get the vaccine for their baby, child, or teen. (Learn about the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) COVID vaccine recommendations for babies, children, and teens.)

Watch for Symptoms

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2–14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

This list does not include all possible symptoms. The CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19.

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