In early May 2021, the county health department announced a plan to vaccinate students ages 12 to 15 across Kanawha County once the FDA authorized the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for that age group. At the time, the vaccine was approved for people 16 and older.
The plan was to send teams to every middle school and high school in the county. In April, the health department had vaccinated students 16 and older at high schools, and the county health officer called that a warm-up. About 7,500 students in the county were ages 12 to 15, and the health department expected just under half to take part.
The county health officer said many COVID-19 cases at the time were in young people, so vaccinating this group should slow the spread. The FDA authorized the vaccine for ages 12 and up on May 10, 2021. A large clinic at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center was set for Saturday, May 15. See Kanawha pediatricians encourage parents to vaccinate 12-15 year-olds.
This guidance is from May 2021. It is kept here as a record and is not current advice. Check current guidance from the CDC or your doctor.
Sources
- WOWK 13 News: Health department plans to vaccinate 12 to 15-year-olds (May 5, 2021)
- WCHS Radio: Health department sets plan to vaccinate those as young as 12 upon FDA approval (May 9, 2021)
- WV MetroNews: Justice says state ready to vaccinate 12-to-15-year-olds (May 10, 2021)
- WCHS-TV: COVID-19 vaccine clinic set for Saturday at Charleston Coliseum (May 11, 2021)