Pfizer vaccine open to 12-to-15-year-olds
OROVILLE >> Butte County residents between 12 and 15 years old are now eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine days after the U. S. expanded an emergency authorization to include the age group.
Butte County Public Health announced the expanded eligibility Thursday morning, noting the change goes into effect immediately. Parents and legal guardians can now schedule appointments for young people 12 and older through myturn.ca.gov, the statewide system used to book vaccination appointments.
Residents ages 12 to 15 eligible for the Pfizer vaccine and must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver and have proof of age at time of appointment. The Pfizer vaccine is administered in two doses taken 21 days apart. MyTurn will prompt residents to book both first and second dose appointments at the same time.
Residents 18 years and older remain eligible for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine, in addition to Pfizer.
On Monday, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine to include 12- to 15-yearolds, and on Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices endorsed the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine for that particular age group.
A report published April 29 by the American Academy of Pediatrics indicated that youths account for 22 percent of new COVID-19 cases, compared to just three percent at this time one year ago. As the report noted, each state defines that age group differently, however, the general age range in the report is from 0 to 20 years old.
In Butte County, young people between 5 and 17 years old have accounted for 1,038, or approximately 9 percent, of the county’s 11,817 COVID-19 cases to date.
“With COVID-19 cases among youth on the rise, the timing of the Pfizer authorization for ages 12-15 could not be better,” Butte County Public Health Officer Dr. Robert Bernstein said in a press release. “While some youth have a less severe or asymptomatic COVID-19 infection, they can still transmit the virus to others.”
The expansion of vaccine eligibility also comes at a time when Butte County and several surrounding north state counties have lagged behind vaccine progress relative to the rest of the state. Although nearly half of all California residents, 49.7 percent, have received at least one dose of the vaccine, only 36.4 percent of Butte County residents have received at least one dose, while 29.8 percent are fully vaccinated.
More information on how to book an appointment in the county can be found on Butte County Public Health’s COVID-19 website at www.buttecounty. net/COVIDvaccine. Those without internet can call the Butte County COVID Call Center for assistance at 552-3050.