SOUTH CAROLINA, USA — With the Pfizer vaccine now authorized for 12 to 15-year-olds, there’s a lot of debate among families on whether their kids should take it.
TaShawana Davis, a Richland County resident, said, “I don’t think there’s enough research done or children for me to want to participate.”
Meanwhile, in Lexington County, Krisie Turner said, “There are children that do have health concerns such as my oldest daughter who I’m very happy now will be able to get the vaccine.”
So, what do the experts say?
News19 checked with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Dr. Allison Eckard, the Director for Pediatric Infectious Diseases at The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).
According to the FDA, a study of roughly 2,200 young people was used to make the decision.
“So, that group was smaller, but because they had very similar effectiveness and side effects to the 16 and up, it was reasonable then to move forward with that data to open up this age group,” Dr. Eckard said.
The amount of vaccine given is the same as adults, Dr. Eckard said.
Possible side effects include injection site pain, tiredness, and fever, which typically lasts one to three days. Most saw more side effects after the second dose of the vaccine.
The FDA doesn’t recommend this vaccine to those with a history of severe allergic reaction.
“If you have any concerns at all it would be important to talk to a healthcare provider,” Dr. Eckard said.
While there’s limited data to show how long protections will last or whether the vaccine can prevent disease transmission, experts believe the benefits do outweigh the risk.
“We have now given it to millions and millions of people around the world and what we saw in clinic trials has held up,” Dr. Eckard said. “It appears very effective and it appears very safe.”
A federal advisory committee will meet Wednesday to further review the FDA’s recommendation. Once approved, The S.C. Dept. of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) said it will begin notifying our state’s vaccine providers on how to proceed.
“Consent is required by a parent or legal guardian for children ages 12-15 before they can receive their Pfizer vaccine,” DHEC said in a statement. “All vaccine providers have their own unique immunization consent forms. We’ve also received notice that VAMS is working to deploy a parental consent component into the VAMS system in the coming days, which may be able to replace the need for a paper consent form from a provider. A copy of the current (Emergency Use Authorization) fact sheet for the Pfizer vaccine will also be provided at the time of consent or when they receive their first shot.”
Those 16 and older do not need parental consent to receive the vaccine, DHEC said.
For more information on the FDA's decision to authorize the Pfizer vaccine for 12 to 15-year-olds, visit FDA.gov.
