Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
On Wednesday, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky endorsed the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that children 12 to 15 years of age be vaccinated with doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and called on all providers to immediately immunize this population.
The official said in a statement that although most children with COVID-19 have mild or no symptoms, some can become seriously ill and require hospitalization.
He noted that there have also been rare and tragic cases of children dying from COVID-19 and its effects, including multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C.
This official recommendation from the CDC follows the Food and Drug Administration's decision on Monday to authorize emergency use of this vaccine in adolescents aged 12 to 15, and is another important step toward moving out of the COVID-19 pandemic and closer to normalcy.
"For vaccination to do its job, we have to do our critical part. That means vaccinating as many eligible people as possible," Walensky said.
This official CDC action opens vaccination to approximately 17 million adolescents in the U.S. and strengthens our nation's efforts to protect more people from the effects of COVID-19.
"Vaccinating adolescents means their quicker return to social activities and can give parents and caregivers peace of mind knowing their family is protected," she added.
In that regard, she noted that some parents have already made plans for their teens to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
"It's understandable that some parents may want more information before their child receives a vaccine. I encourage parents who have questions to talk to their child's health care provider or primary care physician to get more information about the vaccine," she said.
At the same time, she said, "if your teen is behind on routinely recommended vaccinations because of 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're caught up.
Getting COVID-19 vaccine is faster and more convenient than ever. About nine out of 10 Americans live within 5 miles of a COVID-19 vaccination site.
In the coming weeks, two popular ridesharing services will offer free rides to immunization appointments through July 4.
