Will you have your 12 - 15 year old vaccinated for COVID-19?

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Louisiana youths aged 12-15 can now get coronavirus vaccines

Starting May 13, Louisiana pre-teens and adolescents aged 12 through 15 can receive the Pfizer vaccine to protect them from COVID-19, state health department officials said Wednesday.

Parents or guardians should accompany them in-person to a vaccination sight or, if unaccompanied, the youth can present health care providers with a signed consent form.

Any provider in the state that has Pfizer doses can administer them to this age group. The state health department also plans to distribute more vaccines to smaller clinics and to more pediatricians’ offices.

The announcement came just hours after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention greenlit the vaccine for this younger demographic, after an independent federal advisory committee voted to approve it following months of clinical trials. The Food & Drug Administration authorized it for emergency use among adolescents on May 10.

“The LDH has complete confidence in our federal partners’ decision,” said state health officer Dr. Joseph Kanter, whose guidance has nearly mirrored that of the CDC for the state.

Expanding eligibility to 12-15 year-olds opens the opportunity to vaccinate an additional 250,000 Louisiana residents who fall into this age group.

Even though children and young people do not often suffer symptoms as severe as their older counterparts, getting them vaccinated plays an important role in protecting themselves and others — especially as more virulent and contagious variants of the virus continue to circulate, and vaccination rates have plateaued among adults in recent weeks.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, it has been known children can often be asymptomatic carriers. Youths have spent the last year distance learning and missing out on important milestones like graduation, playing team sports and gathering with their peers. Getting them vaccinated will help the state’s continuing efforts to return to life as it was pre-pandemic, said Kanter.

“Going ‘Sleeves Up’ will mean getting back to normal with experiences going to camp and other fun summer activities and a normal experience at school in the fall,” he said.

Vaccines for children younger than 12 could also be on the horizon, but trials are still being conducted for safety and efficacy. The health department encourages people with questions to call its hotline at 1-855-453-0774.

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