Commonly asked questions about the Covid-19 vaccine for younger kids — an expert weighs in

The FDA issued emergency use authorization Friday for Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine for kids 5 to 11, and now CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky has approved the CDC's recommendation of the vaccine for the age group. CNN's Dr. Leana Wen answers questions about the vaccine for younger kids.

Grown-ups have a lot of questions. What dose are their kids getting, and how long will it take to kick in and protect their children? What side effects should they expect? What if their child is about to turn 12 -- should they wait until then to get the higher dose? And what happens if the pediatrician's office doesn't have vaccine appointments -- what other options are there to get a shot?

I posed these questions to CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. She is also author of a new book, "Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health," and the mother of two young kids.