The week's best parenting advice: December 28, 2021

What's going on with toddler vaccines, why your kid probably isn't a narcissist, and more

A child and vaccines.
(Image credit: Illustrated | iStock)

1. What's going on with toddler vaccines?

Parents who have been waiting patiently to vaccinate their young children got some unfortunate news earlier this month when Pfizer announced that its new low-dose vaccine did not provide adequate protection against COVID-19 in children ages 2 to 5. But hope is not lost, only delayed, writes Donavyn Coffey in Fatherly. The course of two three-microgram doses tested in children under five — which is a tenth of the dose given to anyone over 12 years old — simply failed to produce the antibody levels required by the Food and Drug Administration. Rather than upping the dose, Pfizer is updating its trial to test how a third dose performs, which means that a vaccine won't be available for children under five until mid-2022. The good news is that this delay has nothing to do with safety concerns, so parents can rest easy about that.

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Stephanie H. Murray

Stephanie H. Murray is a public policy researcher turned freelance writer.