NEW YORK (AP) — Children ages 12 and older can now roll up their sleeves for COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S., offering parents and schools a chance to relax their pandemic precautions and bringing the country a step closer to controlling the virus.
ARE THE SHOTS THE SAME AS THOSE FOR ADULTS?
Yes. The dose and the schedule are the same; the two shots are given three weeks apart.
WHERE CAN KIDS GET THE SHOTS?
Pharmacies, state sites and other places that are already vaccinating people 16 and older with the Pfizer vaccine should be able to give the shots to all authorized ages in most cases.
School districts are also preparing to host vaccination clinics to speed up the campaign. And since parents might feel more comfortable with their pediatricians and primary care doctors, health officials are working to make the shots more widely available at private practices.
WHY SHOULD KIDS GET VACCINATED?
Even though children are far less likely to get severely ill if infected, health officials note the risk isn’t zero.
Vaccinating children is also key to ending the pandemic, since children can get infected and spread the virus to others, even if they don’t get sick themselves.
About 20% of the U.S. population is younger than 16, according to Census data. That included about 16.7 million children ages 12 to 15 in 2019.
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By: The Associated Press, Nexstar Media Wire
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