Gov. Andy Beshear announced Wednesday that state vaccination sites can now administer Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to Kentuckians age 12 to 15.
Consent from a parent or legal guardian is required in order for the vaccine to be administered to those who are under 18 year old in Kentucky.
According to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, approximately 231,000 Kentuckians are in the 12-15 age group, which makes up roughly 5% of the state’s total population.
The announcement was made on the heels of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization and subsequent approval for the usage among younger Americans from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Among the three COVID-19 vaccines that are available, the Pfizer vaccine is the only option for currently authorized for individuals 12-17 years of age.
The state has transitioned to a federal website — vaccines.gov — that allows Kentuckians to search nearby vaccination sites and filter the search by vaccine brand: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and/or Janssen/Johnson & Johnson.
Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, said the state is now reaching people who might have more questions about getting vaccinated. The Kentucky Department for Public Health emphasized that:
- Children are less likely to develop severe illness from COVID-19, however, they can spread COVID-19 to others even when they are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.
- The Pfizer vaccine has proven very highly effective at preventing COVID-19 cases in 12- to 15-year-olds.
- Children represent a growing proportion of reported cases, and clusters of cases have occurred among adolescents in schools and on sports teams.
- Individuals who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine after an exposure to someone with COVID-19, which minimizes disruption to the individual and their family.
“We’ve seen new COVID-19 cases decline as more and more vaccines have been administered,” Beshear said. “Now, many Kentucky children and young teens have a chance to roll up their sleeves and become heroes for their communities by receiving their shot of hope.”
