Lake County Schools Prepare To Vaccinate Students Ages 12 To 15

LAKE COUNTY, IL — School administrators are scheduling coronavirus vaccine clinics for students aged 12 and over starting on May 16, pending emergency use authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for use on children under age 16.

On Wednesday, Canadian health officials became the first to approve the administration of the Pfizer vaccine to children as young as 12. A decision from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected as soon as early next week.

Vaccination events are planned at Deer Path Middle School on May 16 and June 7 and at Deerfield High School on May 16 and June 6.

The Lake County Health Department requires that a parent or guardian be present for all vaccine appointments for children under 18.

"We appreciate your continued support as we continue to adapt to changing circumstances in an effort to prioritize the safety of our students, staff and community and to take another step to getting back to school as it should be," Township High School District Superintendent Bruce Law said in a message to parents and guardians.

Registration for the events at DHS, held in partnership with Walgreens, is now open.

The Patty Turner Center vaccine site in Deerfield, operated by Doctors Test Centers along with the Lake County Health Department is planned to vaccine Deerfield Public School District 109 middle schoolers with first doses on May 17, 20 and 24.

“The mass vaccination site located at the Patty Turner Center continues to be a meaningful community asset reducing the spread of COVID-19 in this region of Lake County and preventing hospitalizations among the most vulnerable,” Deerfield Mayor Dan Shapiro said in a release.

“The partnership with Deerfield Public Schools District 109 targets another key demographic and will help to ensure the entire household is able to get vaccinated.”

RELATED: Vaccination Appointments Coming For Deerfield Middle Schoolers

Constance Collins, interim superintendent of Lake Forest school districts, said registration is expected to open next week for the Lake Forest vaccination events, which are also being operated in partnership with Doctors Tests Center.

"We are grateful to the City of Lake Forest, the Village of Lake Bluff, our neighboring school districts, Walgreens, Doctors Test Centers, Passport Health, the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Vaccine Buddies, and our many devoted community volunteers for joining together to offer these options for our students and their families," Collins said in a message to families.

"As we have moved so quickly and so cooperatively this week to make these choices available, I am again reminded that when we work together — we can do anything."