Individuals age 12 and up can now receive a coronavirus vaccine, officials announced last week, lowering the age of eligibility from the previous 16 years.
The Blaine County Health Department is now offering the vaccine to adolescents and teenagers with parental consent.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on Monday, May 10 that it is authorizing the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in adolescents. Though the vaccines were initially not studied among this age group, additional studies led the FDA to authorize the vaccine for younger Americans.
On May 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention followed suit and recommended the vaccine for use among this population.
For individuals under age 18 to be vaccinated, a parent or guardian must be present during the appointment or else sign a consent and screening form prior to the appointment.
The county health department is now accepting walk-ins and appointments for coronavirus vaccinations at its office at 521 W 4th St. in Watonga. To schedule an appointment, call 580-623-7977.
“Though most children with COVID-19 have mild or no symptoms, some children can get severely ill and require hospitalization,” the CDC said in a press release last week. “There have also been rare, tragic cases of children dying from COVID-19 and its effects, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C.”
The CDC called its decision “another important step to getting out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and closer to normalcy.”
“For vaccination to do its job, we must do our critical part,” the release continues. “That means vaccinating as many people as possible who are eligible. This official CDC action opens vaccination to approximately 17 million adolescents in the United States and strengthens our nation’s efforts to protect even more people from the effects of COVID-19. Getting adolescents vaccinated means their faster return to social activities and can provide parents and caregivers peace of mind knowing their family is protected.
“Some parents have already made plans for their adolescents to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Understandably, some parents want more information before their children receive a vaccine. I encourage parents with questions to talk to your child’s healthcare provider or your family doctor to learn more about the vaccine. And if your adolescent is behind on routinely recommended vaccines due to the pandemic or for other reasons, now would be a good time to work with your child’s nurse or doctor to make sure they get caught up.”
The CDC also announced last week that fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear a mask or maintain social distancing in any setting, whether indoors or out. It considers individuals to be fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the final dose of their coronavirus vaccine.