OH Expands Vaccine Access To Some Youths After FDA Authorization

OHIO — Teenagers across Ohio will soon have the option to be inoculated against the coronavirus, according to health officials.

On Monday, the FDA expanded its emergency use authorization of the Pfizer vaccine against the coronavirus after determining it is safe to be used by youths between 12 and 15 years of age.

As a result, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said the state will begin offering the vaccine to eligible teens as early as this week.

"I am encouraged that the FDA has already updated Pfizer’s Emergency Use Authorization to include youth ages 12-15," DeWine said. "Following a recommendation, as soon as Wednesday, from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the CDC, Ohio will immediately expand vaccine eligibility to youth ages 12-15 and provide appropriate guidance for parents, guardians, and vaccine providers across the state. Vaccinations are our way back to a more normal life."

According to the FDA, 1.5 million cases of the coronavirus have been diagnosed in youths between 11 and 17 years old since March 2020. While COVID-19 cases are generally milder in youths, vaccinating them against the virus can help stop its spread, Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement.

“The FDA’s expansion of the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to include adolescents 12 through 15 years of age is a significant step in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” Woodcock said. “Today’s action allows for a younger population to be protected from COVID-19, bringing us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy and to ending the pandemic. Parents and guardians can rest assured that the agency undertook a rigorous and thorough review of all available data, as we have with all of our COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorizations.”