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 The following information should help parents deciding whether to
inoculate their adolescent children.
IS THE VACCINE SAFE FOR 12-15 YEAR OLDS?
The FDA found the vaccine to be safe and effective in Pfizer's
clinical trial. That trial included 2,260 participants in that age
group, half of whom received the same vaccine dose given to adults.
The other half got a placebo as a comparison group. The safety
profile for those 12 to 15 was found to be similar to 16- to
25-year-olds who have received the vaccine, the agency said. The
most commonly reported side effects - all of which were short lived
- were pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, chills, muscle
pain, fever and joint pain, the FDA said.
More than 2 million 16- and 17-year-olds in the United States have
already received at least one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
CHILDREN DON'T USUALLY GET VERY SICK, SO WHY GET THE SHOT?
Most children with COVID-19 only develop mild symptoms or no
symptoms at all. However, children are not without risk of becoming
seriously ill. Pediatric medical experts point out that many
children have been hospitalized and some have died. Dr. Lee Savio
Beers, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, encourages
parents to get the vaccine for their adolescents as soon as they are
eligible.
Infected children, even those without symptoms, can still spread the
virus to vulnerable people at home and elsewhere. There have been
outbreaks traced to sporting events and other activities for
children in this age range. Inoculating as many people as possible
is seen as essential to breaking the back of the pandemic.
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 WILL I BE REQUIRED TO VACCINATE
MY TEEN?
While states can require teens to get vaccinated
in order to attend public school, most are
unlikely to do so before the vaccine receives
full approval. Such requirements often take
legislation, which in this case could be a
lengthy and controversial process given how the
vaccine has been politicized in many parts of
the country. Private schools may be able to
require it sooner unless a state law suggests
otherwise.
Summer camps - attented by some 26 million
children each year - are generally not regulated
as tightly by states and have more freedom to
require or merely enourage vaccinations for
staff and campers. However, vaccinating kids
could allow them to avoid quarantine if they are
exposed to someone who tests positive.
WHERE CAN MY CHILD GET THE VACCINE?
Teens will receive their vaccines at the same
sites and pharmacies that are administering them
to adults, provided they have the Pfizer/BioNTech
shots on hand. They may also be able to receive
the shots at pediatric offices able to properly
store the vaccine.
WHICH VACCINE CAN MY TEEN GET?
As of now, only the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is
authorized for use in people under the age of 18
in the United States.
ARE ANY OTHER COUNTRIES VACCINATING ADOLESCENTS?
Canada and Algeria have also authorized the
Pfizer vaccine for this age group. Pfizer has
said it has submitted the data needed for
authorizaion to other regulators around the
world, including the European Medicines Agency.
(Reporting by Michael Erman; Additional
reporting by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by
Caroline Humer and Bill Berkrot)
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