Appointments can be made starting Thursday, May 13 at 8:15 a.m.
Vermont Business Magazine Vaccination registration will open to Vermonters ages 12 to 15 on Thursday morning, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s action late Wednesday authorizing use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for this age group.
The Food & Drug Administration authorized this emergency use of the vaccine earlier this week. On Wednesday, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices overwhelmingly recommended, and the CDC approved, this use of the vaccine, based on clinical trial data that found it to be safe and effective.
“With final approval now given to begin vaccinations for those 12 to 15 years old with the Pfizer vaccine, Vermont is ready,” said Governor Scott. “As early as tomorrow, Vermonters in this new age band can sign up and begin receiving their shots. My team has worked in partnership with dozens of school districts and other partners to make this as easy and accessible as possible. The more Vermonters who step up and get vaccinated, the faster we’ll be able to get back to doing more of the things we’ve missed over the past months.”
Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, said the vaccine has now passed the same safety benchmarks for this younger age group as it did for aged 16 and older.
“This gives me a lot of confidence that we can protect our 12 to 15-year-olds from COVID-19, keeping them safe and healthy,” Dr. Levine said. “The pandemic has had a significant, and in some ways, hidden impact on young Vermonters – physically, mentally and emotionally. I am very glad we can now focus our vaccination efforts on protecting our older children, and moving Vermont forward to where they can again enjoy life as adolescents.”
Appointments for the 12 to 15 age group can be made as soon as Thursday morning at 8:15 a.m. by visiting healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine. Parents or caregivers can create an account, or use their existing account, and add a child as a dependent. Those making appointments will only see clinics with the Pfizer vaccine. If you need assistance, you can call 855-722-7878. Parental/caregiver consent is required for vaccination of this age group. Consent can be given as part of the online registration process or at a clinic in person.
The Health Department is working in partnership with the Agency of Education to offer school-based clinics with daytime and evening hours. These clinics will be updated in the vaccine registration system as soon as they are scheduled, and a listing can be found at the Agency of Education’s website.
Making an appointment is the best way to guarantee a vaccine, but walk-in opportunities are also available and can be found on our website healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine. Anyone under 18 should be sure to only choose locations that offer the Pfizer vaccine.
Certain pharmacies, including CVS and Kinney Drugs, are also offering the Pfizer vaccine to this age group, with some having appointments or walk-in opportunities available right away.
Dr. Levine added that children may experience some of the same common side effects as other young adults, such as pain at the injection site, fever, chills, or tiredness, but these should go away in a few days.
“Be assured these are normal signs that the body is building up protection against COVID-19,” Dr. Levine said. “Parents and caregivers can help by talking to their kids about what to expect ahead of time, and can talk to their pediatrician if they have questions.”
Meanwhile, the VDH is reporting 28 new cases of COVID-19 and one more death for 252 total statewide.
COVID-19 Daily Update
May 12, 2021
New or updated information is in red and bold
This update is available online at healthvermont.gov/covid19
Click the “See the Daily Update” button
Vermont to Open Vaccination to Ages 12 to 15 Thursday (May 13) at 8:15 a.m.
Vaccination registration will open to Vermonters ages 12 to 15 first thing Thursday morning, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s action late Wednesday authorizing use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for this age group.
The Food & Drug Administration authorized this emergency use of the vaccine earlier this week. On Wednesday, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices overwhelmingly recommended, and the CDC approved, this use of the vaccine, based on clinical trial data that found it to be safe and effective.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to vaccinate these young Vermonters. It’s safe, easy and effective. Appointments can be made by visiting healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine. You can create an account, or use your existing account, adding the child as a dependent. Those making appointments for this age group will only see clinics with the Pfizer vaccine. If you need assistance, you can call 855-722-7878. Parental/caregiver consent is required for vaccination of this age group. Consent can be given as part of the online registration process or at a clinic in person.
The Health Department is working in partnership with the Agency of Education to offer school-based clinics with daytime and evening hours. These clinics will be updated in the vaccine registration system as soon as they are scheduled, and a listing can be found at the Agency of Education’s website.
Making an appointment is the best way to guarantee a vaccine, but walk-in opportunities are also available and can be found on our website healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine. Anyone under 18 should be sure to only choose locations that offer the Pfizer vaccine.
Certain pharmacies, including CVS and Kinney Drugs, are also offering the Pfizer vaccine to this age group, with some having appointments or walk-in opportunities available right away.
Walk-in vaccine opportunities now available
Looking to walk in to a vaccine clinic without an appointment? You can! Check out the latest opportunities on our website: healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine and follow our social media feeds @healthvermont to stay up to date.
Remember that a clinic’s vaccine supply for walk-ins is limited, so the best way to guarantee your vaccination is to make an appointment through our website.
COVID-19 testing is important and available right near you
COVID-19 is a highly transmissible virus. Getting tested is not just the only way to know if you have the virus, it’s also how we protect our loved ones and our communities.
If you are unvaccinated (including children) and traveled outside the state, you must have a COVID-19 test within 3 days of returning to Vermont. For more details, visit our website.
And if you have any symptom, no matter how mild, such as a headache, cough, fatigue or a runny nose, talk to your health care provider to get referred for testing. It’s also important to avoid going to work, school or other places until you receive a negative result.
Even if you don’t have symptoms, you can still have COVID-19 and not feel sick. If you don’t have symptoms and want to get tested, there are many test sites now available around the state. It’s free and easy!
COVID-19 Activity in Vermont
Data is updated daily.
|
Description |
Number |
||
|
New cases |
28 (23,651 total) |
||
|
Currently hospitalized |
12 |
||
|
Hospitalized in ICU |
2 |
||
|
Hospitalized under investigation |
1 |
||
|
Percent Positive (7-day average) |
1.1% |
||
|
People tested |
386,398 |
||
|
Total tests |
1,642,637 |
||
|
Total people recovered |
21,709 |
||
|
Deaths |
252 |
Find more data on COVID-19 Activity at: healthvermont.gov/
COVID-19 Vaccine Data
As of 12 p.m. on May 12, 2021
Data is updated Tuesdays through Saturdays.
|
Description |
Number |
||
|
Total people who have received least one dose of vaccine |
379,814 |
||
|
Total people who have completed vaccination |
275,528 |
Find more vaccine data on the COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard: healthvermont.gov/
Additional Resources About Vaccination and More
- Find answers to your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine from the CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/
2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html . - Get Vermont-specific information in our Frequently Asked Questions.
- Sign up for the COVID-19 Weekly Email Update.
- Find information sheets, posters and toolkits, as well as translated materials on our Resources web page.
For more information, visit healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine.
About the Department of Health
We have been the state's public health agency for more than 130 years, working every day to protect and promote the health of Vermonters.
Source: VDH BURLINGTON, VT – 5.12.2021 Visit healthvermont.gov
