The FDA authorized the use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for those 12-15 years old Monday.
The vaccine was previously authorized for those 16 and up.
Spokane Health District Spokeswoman Kelli Hawkins said Spokane residents will not be able to make appointments for their kids until Washington state authorities approve it for adolescents.
Hawkins said Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup will have to review the findings first and then Governor Inslee will announce whether the vaccine may be administered to younger children. This process will likely be finished in the next few days.
“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,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “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.”
