The FDA has approved the Pfizer vaccine for 12 to 15-year-olds, giving us another way to fight against the Coronavirus.
The Pfizer vaccine is the first Covid-19 vaccine in the US that has been authorized for use in younger teens and adolescents. The other two vaccines: Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are earmarked for usage in people18-years-old and older.
“It was a relatively straightforward decision,” Dr. Peter Marks, Director of US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, the arm of the FDA that regulates vaccines, told reporters.
Before approving the vaccine usage in younger Americans, the FDA stringently examined the Pfizer safety and efficacy data. Additionally, they looked at immune responses of children who were already vaccinated.
Marks stated that, “The response to the vaccine was excellent and in fact it was even better, really, in the younger age group than it was in the 16-25 age group. The safety profile was very similar in 12-15-year-olds as in 16-25-year-olds.”
Additionally, the Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock stated in the briefing that the, “FDA has done everything we can to ensure that the Covid-19 vaccines we have authorized have met the agency’s high standards for quality, safety and effectiveness. We know that every time an American, including members of our own families, receives a Covid-19 vaccine dose, you are putting your trust in us.”
President Biden stated that he will move quickly to mobilize and ready vaccinations for 12-to-15-year-olds through the federal pharmacy program, pediatricians and family doctors. However, it is up to individual states to make the decision as to who will administer vaccines to younger people and when.
“It may be that the local pharmacy will not be able to administer because they may not be able to give a vaccine to someone younger than 16 or 17 years of age,” Marks said. “And with good reason. A 12-year-old is not the same, emotionally, as an 18-year-old. There is a difference there. So there may be differences from state to state and from location to location.”
According to John Hopkins, as of this moment, the United States has had 32,815,408 Coronavirus cases and 583,690 deaths.
Are you planning on getting your 12-15-year-old vaccinated or not? We want to hear both opinions. Sound-off and comment below! We want to hear from you.
