“It’s very encouraging that more than half-a-million school-aged kids are already vaccinated,” she said. “We know that vaccinations are one of the best ways to prevent illness due to COVID-19 and help keep students learning in-person.

That’s why we encourage everyone eligible to get vaccinated, and we encourage schools to help make it as convenient as possible.”Ĭhildren as young as 12 are currently eligible to get vaccinated. Beam said 21.9% of kids ages 12 to 14 are fully vaccinated, along with 42.6% of those ages 15 to 19. The state needs to keep making progress in those age ranges to make sure schools can remain open, Beam said. “We know that vaccinations are one of the best ways to prevent illness from COVID-19 and to keep students learning in-person,” she said.Īnd, Beam added, there’s some good news on the horizon. She spoke about Pfizer recently submitting it’s vaccine for approval for kids ages 5 to 11. Pfizer’s application will be reviewed by the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a process that will likely take several weeks.īut that doesn’t mean schools shouldn’t start planning ahead, Beam said. She encouraged school officials to contact local vaccine providers to plan school-based Pfizer vaccine clinics for younger students as early as November. In response to a question from a member of the news media, Beam said the state’s focus on vaccination to fight COVID will continue to consist of education and encouragement.

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