Essentia Announced They Are Ready To Vaccinate Young Adults Age 12-15 Starting This Week

On Monday of this week the drug company Pfizer had said that their vaccine was approved for children ages 12-15 and vaccines will be available through Essentia starting tomorrow The Pfizer vaccine had previously just been available for young adults starting at the age of 16.

A spokesperson for Essentia had stated that the availability of the Pfizer vaccine will depend upon the supply at each vaccination site. Many of the Essentia locations at this time do not require an appointment and accept walk in's but patients and non-patients can make an appointment through Essentia’s MyChart patient portal or by calling (833) 494-0836.

Dr. Sharnell Valentine, a pediatrician at Essentia Health said to KBJR:

The authorization process has been stringent with the FDA reviewing the data from Pfizer since April 9. This vaccine is highly effective and side effects are well tolerated and generally what were observed with people aged 16-25.

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The Center for Disease Control has said that the safety monitoring for COVID vaccines is " the most intense and comprehensive in U.S. history.” So far Johnson and Johnson and Moderna vaccines are still only available for people 18 years of age and older.

Of course since people in this age group are minors many parents will most likely want to discuss the vaccination with their child's physician to ask questions and to decide form there if this is the right choice for their child. From what I have seen on newscasts nationally when they have spoken to young adults who say they want the vaccine, for them the motivation is to be able to have the freedom to see their friends, and to be able to go places without feeling as worried. Of course precautions still remain in place throughout the country and of course in our area as well even with many people having already been vaccinated.