COVID-19 vaccinations for children 12-15 years old set to begin in southwestern IL
COVID-19 vaccination sites throughout the metro-east will begin offering vaccination appointments for children ages 12 to 15.
The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Wednesday that vaccinations can begin immediately, following a vote by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee to allow use of the vaccine on that age group.
St. Clair County Health Department announced vaccination appointments for children ages 12 to 15 with the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine will begin Thursday.
The decision is hoped to improve slowing vaccination numbers throughout the country. The CDC committee’s vote is the last hurdle before the vaccinations can be offered to the new age group.
On Tuesday, St. Clair County Health Department Executive Director Myla Blanford urged people to use the mass vaccination site at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds in Belleville while its available. It is scheduled to close at the end of the month.
St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern said an estimated 25,000 children who fall into that age range live in the county. Roughly 20% make up the total U.S. population, according to census data.
The two-dose vaccine was already available for anyone 16 and older in Illinois.
Pfizer said in late March the vaccine was found to be 100% effective in a clinical trial that included more than 2,000 adolescents. It was also found that side effects were similar to what older teens and adults experienced.