Lake County Vaccination Portal Set To Open For Kids Ages 12-15

LAKE COUNTY, IL — Pending a recommendation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Wednesday, the Lake County Health Department will begin administering COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 12 to 15 on Thursday.

On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration expanded its emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to include children under 16 following clinical trials of over 2,000 U.S. volunteers. There were no cases of the coronavirus among fully vaccinated kids, compared to 18 among those who received placebos.

On Wednesday, the CDC's immunization committee is scheduled to vote on a recommendation for use on younger children. At that point, vaccine providers in Lake County may begin administering the Pfizer jab to children as young as 12, according to public health officials.

AllVax appointments for 12 to 15-year-olds will open within 24 hours of the ACIP vote. Households who are already registered on the AllVax portal are encouraged to add children as a household member, rather than setting up a separate account for their child. Minors under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to receive their vaccine at a Lake County Health Department vaccination site.

Lake County Health Department Executive Director Mark Pfister urged parents and guardians to register their children online with the county's AllVax portal to make an appointment at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake or at the regional vaccination site at 102 W. Water St. in Waukegan.

“We are eager to provide COVID-19 vaccines to more teens and adolescents to prevent new infections in our families and communities,” Pfister said in a statement Tuesday.

Appointments for younger children will be available through the portal within 24 hours of the committee's vote, according to the health department. Families who are already registered can add younger children as household members.

Related:
Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Expanded To U.S. Children 12 And Older
Illinois To 'Ramp Down' COVID-19 Vaccine Supply As Demand Lowers
Chicago Children's Hospitals Plan Clinics To Vaccinate Kids 12-15
Walk Right Up: Rise In Doses Allows Shift At Lake County Vaccine Site
Lake County Schools Prepare To Vaccinate Students Ages 12 To 15

Residents can also look to arrange vaccinations with other providers, including pharmacies and healthcare providers. Several Lake County school districts have already set appointments for vaccination clinics for middle schoolers and younger high schoolers.

Regardless of who administers the dose, or whether it is the first or second jab, all minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to receive a vaccine.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, about one in three Lake County residents has been fully vaccinated.

More than four of five senior citizens in the county and more than half of those aged 16 to 64 have received at least one dose, according to state data released as of Tuesday.

“Cases among 14 to 18-year-olds in Lake County doubled in the month of April. We know our families long for normalcy — healthy and lower risk social interactions, quality education with minimal disruptions, and the return of activities that we enjoy," Pfister added.

"We urge families to protect your children from this illness by getting them vaccinated as soon as possible.”