The Pfizer Coronavirus vaccine has received emergency use authorization from the FDA and has now gained approval by the CDC for use in the 12 to 15 age group. The shot is identical to what is given to adults, and studies have shown the vaccine to be safe and effective for this age group. Dr. Anita Henderson is President of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She says some pediatricians in the state will offer the vaccine, but most doses will be at larger vaccination sites.
"We want all the children to do all the things that they love that are so important to their mental health, their physical health, their social health, their emotional health," says Dr. Henderson. "Having this vaccine available for our adolescents is the next step towards moving past and moving through the pandemic."
A list of Pfizer vaccine providers can be found on the Department of Health’s website.
Children are not immune to the coronavirus. While many kids don't show symptoms of the disease, Hattiesburg Pediatrician Dr. John Gaudet says it can pose a serious threat to some children.
"Even though kids don't get sick as severely as say an elderly person or somebody with chronic lung disease, there are still deaths from COVID-19 in children," says Dr. Gaudet. "Vaccines can save lives in children, and it can also prevent transmission of COVID-19 from children to other individuals who are more susceptible to serious complications."
Pediatricians say they expect trials studying coronavirus vaccinations in younger children to conclude in the Fall.
