evidence: COVID-19 usually causes mild symptoms in kids — most commonly, fever and cough. Most children recover in one to two weeks with at-home care. But kids with certain underlying medical conditions face a higher risk of serious illness and hospitalization. Vaccination can protect your child from getting very sick or developing complications from COVID. [...] Children without underlying conditions can also develop severe COVID-19, particularly if they’re unvaccinated. This is why pediatricians urge parents to get their children vaccinated. It’s also important for all members of a household to stay up to date with COVID vaccinations. Doing so can protect infants younger than 6 months (who aren’t eligible for a vaccine) and others who may be more vulnerable to severe illness. [...] Some parents are concerned their teen will develop myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle). This is very rare. Viral infections like COVID-19 and the flu cause myocarditis much more often than vaccines do. This is why healthcare providers emphasize that the benefits of vaccination outweigh any possible risks.