Virginia Parents: Do You Want Your Young Teens Vaccinated?

VIRGINIA — The federal panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to recommend that the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine be used in children ages 12-15 after the Food and Drug Administration announced earlier this week that it was expanding its emergency use authorization for the vaccine.

In Virginia, the state's health department allowed vaccine providers to begin administering the Pfizer vaccine to ages 12 to 15 Thursday in addition to ages 16 and older. The clinical trial for participants aged 12 to 15 found the Pfizer vaccine to be 100 percent effective at least seven days after the second dose.

Dr. Danny Avula, Virginia's vaccination coordinator, touted the benefits of the vaccine for adolescents.

"Generally, adolescents who contract COVID-19 usually do not develop severe symptoms, but they contribute to the spread of COVID-19," said Avula. "Vaccinating adolescents, along with the rest of Virginia’s eligible population, will help stop the spread of COVID-19 and make our communities safer. Getting this safe, effective vaccine means that these adolescents won’t have to miss school, sporting events or other activities if they are exposed to someone with COVID-19, taking another step toward getting their lives back to normal.”

If you're a parent of a child between the ages of 12-15, Patch wants to know whether you plan on having your child vaccinated. Take our survey below and let us know. The survey will remain open until 12 p.m. on Tuesday, May 18. If you cannot see the form below, click here.