Does my child need the covid vaccine every year?

What the evidence says

There is no single rule that every child must get a COVID-19 vaccine every single year. What the guidelines say depends on your child's age and health.

In Canada, the national vaccine advisory group (NACI) has recommended that children and teens at higher risk of severe illness get a seasonal booster dose, with a stronger recommendation for those 12 to 17 who have risk factors, and a more flexible, optional recommendation for others. Canada's most recent detailed public guidance on this is a couple of years old, so it does not fully reflect the newest U.S. policy changes described below.

In the United States, the American Academy of Pediatrics still recommends a yearly dose for babies and toddlers aged 6 to 23 months, because this age group is at the highest risk of severe COVID-19, and for children aged 2 to 18 who have certain health conditions. For healthy children in between, the AAP says a dose can be offered if the parent wants the extra protection, but it is not a strict requirement.

In 2025, U.S. health authorities (CDC) changed their overall policy. Instead of recommending the vaccine for everyone 6 months and older automatically, they moved to "individual-based decision-making," meaning healthy children and teens now get it based on a conversation with their doctor about their personal risk, rather than a blanket yearly recommendation.

A CDC study looking at the 2024-2025 vaccine found it gave real protection: among vaccinated children, there were notably fewer urgent care and emergency visits for COVID-19 compared to unvaccinated children, with bigger protection in younger kids. So the vaccine does work each season, but whether your particular child needs it yearly is really a question for your pediatrician, based on age and any health conditions.