Many RCMS students and staff are glad that the Pfizer vaccine got approved on May 10 for adolescents of ages 12-15 year-olds, because it can prevent them from getting COVID-19.

“Kids should get the vaccine because it would make the number of COVID cases go down, and it will allow things to go back to normal,” said Shirdi Palle, a seventh-grader.

Pfizer asked the Food and Drug Association (FDA) on April 9 for permission to expand emergency use of their Pfizer-BioNTech COVID‑19 Vaccine to 12 -15-year-olds. They posted on Twitter that same day, informing the public of their requests.

Accepting their request, the FDA extended the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine, May 10, to include children 12 through 15 years of age. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is administered on 12 to 15 year olds with the same dosage and dosing regimen for people 16 years of age and older. They will receive the same two shots.

Pfizer informed the public of their goal to make the vaccine available for 12- to 15-year-olds before the 2021-2022 school year. 

“Kids would feel a lot safer with the vaccine,” said Daenyll Shah, a seventh-grader. 

In the United States, 2,260 adolescents aged 12 to 15 were enrolled in a study. The data showed that the vaccine worked well on the adolescents who participated in the study.

Conner Kirkpatrick, a seventh-grader, thinks this is good. He plans to get it when he can and advises others to do the same. “I think it’s a great idea,” he said, “especially with school reopening.”

Ms. Lauren Breza, a science teacher at RCMS, also agrees and said, “Knowing that it could reduce the number of cases in the United States, I would say that it is definitely something that is positive.”     

“I think it is a step in the right direction,” said Shirdi.