Kids Ages 12 To 15 Now Eligible To Get Pfizer Covid Shot

CNBC: Pfizer Covid Vaccine: FDA Clears Use In Kids Ages 12 To 15
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved Pfizer and BioNTech’s request to allow their Covid-19 vaccine to be given to kids ages 12 to 15 on an emergency use basis, allowing states to get middle school students vaccinated before the fall. The U.S. agency granting use of the shot in adolescents will also accelerate the nation’s efforts to drive down infections, public health officials and infectious disease experts say. (Lovelace Jr., 5/10)

Reuters: U.S. Children Ages 12 To 15 Could Begin COVID-19 Vaccinations Thursday 
U.S. President Joe Biden has asked states to make the vaccine available to younger adolescents immediately. Biden issued a statement hailing the authorization as "a promising development in our fight against the virus." "If you are a parent who wants to protect your child, or a teenager who is interested in getting vaccinated, today’s decision is a step closer to that goal," he said. (Erman, 5/11)

Politico: FDA Authorizes Pfizer Vaccine For Kids 12 To 15 
[Acting FDA Commissioner Janet] Woodcock and the FDA's top vaccine regulator, Peter] Marks, noted state-level regulations may affect where young teens are able to receive the Pfizer vaccine. Pharmacies may not be an option in some states, for example, depending on how a given state defines a pharmacist's scope of practice.

Also —

The Wall Street Journal: Kids And The Covid-19 Vaccine: Is It Safe And When Can They Get It? 
Another key factor is whether a state has enough vaccine doses available to expand access. Supplies have increased considerably since Covid-19 vaccines began rolling out. “I would be surprised if it were more than a week or two before kids start getting shots, and in theory, once the emergency use authorization is given, kids could get vaccinated the very next day,” said pediatrician Robert Frenck, director of the Center For Vaccine Research at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, which helped test the Pfizer-BioNTech shot in adolescents. (Whelan, 5/10)

Salt Lake Tribune: State Health Officials Say No Link Between Blood Clots And Coronavirus Vaccine Authorized For Teenagers
State health officials are reiterating that the only coronavirus vaccine authorized for children is not known to cause blood clots, after a Utah mom said her teenage son developed clots in his brain after being vaccinated. ABC 4 reported this weekend that the teen was hospitalized with blood clots in his brain a little over a week after he was vaccinated. But the teen’s mother said she didn’t know whether the vaccine caused the blood clots — and it is unlikely the boy, 17, received the vaccine that has been linked to blood clots. (Alberty, 5/11)

Axios: Parents A Crucial Decider In Adolescent Vaccine Rollout 
About 17 million teens aged 12 to 15 will be now eligible for the Pfizer COVID vaccine in the coming days — if health officials can get parents on board. Parents are split nearly 50-50 on whether they will allow their children to get vaccinated as soon as possible, according to Axios/Ipsos data. (Fernandez, 5/11)

In news from Moderna about a vaccine for children —

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Emory University Taking Part In A Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Study For Children
At present, adults ages 18 and up are eligible to receive the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines under emergency use authorization granted by the FDA, while the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine before Monday had been authorized for ages 16 and up. Moderna intends to enroll more than 6,000 pediatric participants in the United States and Canada in its KidCOVE clinical trials. Children are expected to begin enrolling at Emory Children’s Center in coming days, the university said. The study contains two parts. In part one, all participants receive two doses of the vaccine to evaluate the best dose for each age group. In the second part, a placebo-controlled study will determine safety and efficacy. The research is anticipated to last several months. (Stirgus, 5/10)