Massachusetts Now Administering Pfizer Vaccine to Children Ages 12-15
Massachusetts children between the ages of 12 to 15 are now eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, beginning today, according to WCVB.
A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel voted on Wednesday that kids as young as 12 are recommended to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. This follows the news from Monday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use in children 12-15.
This new group of eligibility, which is around 400,000 people, is now able to start making vaccination appointments. In addition, they have access to walk-in vaccinations at certain sites. Walgreens and CVS also stated that they will begin offering shots to this age group as of today. Children are also able to go through their pediatrician if that is what the family prefers.
Gov. Baker stated that children of this age group, similar to the 16 and 17 year old group, will need to bring a written consent form signed by a parent or guardian to their vaccination appointment. Guardians only need to sign the form to provide permission and they do not need to go with the minor to the appointment to give consent, as stated on the website. These forms can be downloaded right from the state’s website and are available in several different languages.
As of now, the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are still only authorized for people ages 18 and older. If you are looking to book an appointment or find more information about the vaccination sites in the area, click here for the Massachusetts vaccine finder on the government website.
