Children

Exposure to lead can seriously harm a child’s health, including damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, learning and behavior problems, and hearing and speech problems. The effects of lead on the nervous system can cause lower IQ, decreased ability to pay attention, and under performance in school.

As federal, state, and local authorities move to roll back COVID-19 restrictions, a new KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey finds many people ready to get back to normal but a public also nervous about the potential consequences. Large shares of the public are worried about the implications of both keeping…

Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the public is split on their readiness to return to normal, with many worried about the consequences of lifting restrictions and of not lifting them. At this point, the pandemic is not a top issue for voters in November’s midterm elections . Most parents are not confident in the safety of the vaccine for kids under 5.

Of the 19 million U.S. children under 5, half are children of color, making this group more diverse than the U.S. population overall. There is also significant variation across the country.

With the FDA authorization of both Moderna and Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 6 months and 5, the last major phase of the U.S. vaccination roll-out is underway. This brief provides an overview of the characteristics of children under the age of 5 and discusses some issues to consider in rolling out vaccination to this age group.

3 in 10 of Those with Children Under 5 Expect to Get Them a Shot Right Away Once Eligible 1 in 4 Parents Say Their Student Had to Quarantine in January Due to COVID-19 Infection or Exposure; Overall 4 in 10 Report Some Education Disruption Growing shares of parents say…

This Vaccine Monitor survey finds an increase in the share of parents reporting their child has received a COVID-19 vaccine, with 61% of parents of 12-17-year olds and 33% of 5-11-year-olds now saying their child has gotten at least one shot. Three in ten parents of children under the age of 5, a group that has not yet been approved to get a vaccine, say they’ll get their child vaccinated right away.

The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented health and education challenges for children with disabilities, many of whom receive special education services. Many children receiving special education services have substantial health care needs, and services available through a child’s health insurance plan, such as Medicaid, can complement special education services. This brief explains how Medicaid and special education services intersect, explores the pandemic’s implications for children receiving special education services, and identifies key issues to watch moving forward.

This piece provides an analysis of COVID-19 vaccination rates among 5-11 year-old children across the states. Overall, we find wide variation in share of children who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine across the states.

This report examines the views and experiences of people in rural, urban and suburban areas related to the pandemic, and finds they hold very different views of the COVID-19 vaccines, particularly when it comes to children.