Vaccinations For Kids 12 To 15 Could Come By Thursday

LONG ISLAND, NY — Vaccinations may be available for kids between the ages of 12 and 15 as soon as Thursday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.

"As we have with each COVID vaccine and with every expansion of use, we will use science & data to determine the safest path forward for New Yorkers," Cuomo said.

On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination to include 12 to 15-year-old, Cuomo said.

After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine advisory committee and the advisory committee on immunization practices meets to review data and discuss whether to recommend the vaccine to that age group, New York State Commissioner of Health Dr. Howard Zucker will meet with the state's clinical advisory task force and make a final decision, Cuomo said.

Full authorization for the 12 to 15-year-old age group could be in place by Thursday, he said.

When asked about a statement by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who said city students would not be required to get the vaccine to return to school in September —Cuomo said Monday that city and state college students would not be allowed to return to campus without a vaccine — the governor said the vaccinations could not be mandated by schools until the shots have Food & Drug Administration approval. Currently, Cuomo said, the vaccinations are administered under an emergency use authorization by the FDA.