COVID-19 vaccine could soon be approved for kids as young as 12-years-old

PITTSBURGH — One of the new opportunities in the race to vaccinate is vaccinating teenagers and pre-teens.

Pfizer wants to let doctors use its vaccine on 12- to 15-year-olds, but parents may not be ready. The Chair of the Pediatric Institute for Allegheny Health Network, Doctor Joseph Araci, said that studies support vaccination.

“We are really looking forward to this. Studies show that this vaccine is incredibly safe and very effective,” Dr. Araci explained.

Results of a national poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation determined that:

• 30% of parents would immediately vaccinate their kids
• 26% would wait
• 18% would only do it if a school required it
• Nearly a quarter of parents would not do it

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Dr. Araci explained that he is recommending the vaccine to his patients’ parents.

“We know that it gives protection to the kids for covid infection,” Dr. Araci said. “As far as a safety profile goes, we have seen a number of studies that these are incredibly safe vaccines in these populations in 12 and above.

Pfizer has been doing vaccine trials on children as young as six months old.

There is also a new effort in the state legislature, in Harrisburg, to expand vaccinations for children.

A bill requiring doctors to treat children whose parents deny them vaccines just passed a House committee.

This comes as a state senator from the Philadelphia area wants to let children as young as 14 consent to vaccination, even if their parents disagree.

Major pharmacies offering walk-up or same-day COVID-19 vaccines (NCD)