On May 12th, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech would be expanded to include adolescents aged 12 to 15 years old. Previously, the vaccine was only available to those 16 and older.

According to a press release from the FDA, they said that they “determined that Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has met the statutory criteria to amend the EUA, and that the known and potential benefits of this vaccine in individuals 12 years of age and older outweigh the known and potential risks, supporting the vaccine’s use in this population.” You can read the full press release at this link.

The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccines continue to be available only to those aged 18 and older. Moderna is expected to seek FDA approval for their vaccine to be administered to teenagers this month.

For more information from the Virginia Department of Health on obtaining the COVID-19 vaccine for your child, please view their factsheet for parents.

Parents of those ages 12 to 15 who wish for their child to be vaccinated can find out more information on where to find a COVID-19 vaccine here.

– Coles District Staff