Pfizer, the company that produces one of the major COVID-19 vaccines, announced this week that its vaccine will work on children aged 5 to 12, and that it will seek approval from the government to begin offering vaccinations to children.

The Pfizer vaccine is administered at smaller doses for children, but its immunization is as strong as those received by older children receiving full doses.

If this Pfizer vaccine is approved, it will be good news for parents who worry about sending their children to school, where they may come into contact with the virus.

That is a risk that is growing in Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Health reported Thursday that COVID cases are rising among school age children. While it is true that school aged children may not get as sick from COVID as grownups, they can still spread it to adults at home or to their teachers.

Those who oppose requiring children to wear masks in school should approve of the possibility of vaccinating the children. They will be protected much more with a vaccine than with a mask.