Harris County Public Health to offer Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 12-15 starting Thursday
HOUSTON - Harris County Public Health has announced children ages 12-15 can receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine starting on Thursday.
The vaccines will be available at NRG Park any day of the week starting Thursday from 12 p.m. until 9 p.m.
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Parents can pre-register their children to get the vaccine by visiting ReadyHarris.org.
Appointments can also be made by calling the HCPH Vaccine Center at (832) 927-8787 or parents can drive up without an appointment to the vaccination site at NRG Park.
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Parents who register their children can choose the NRG Park location when they enter their child's date of birth. Officials said parents or guardians, who do not accompany their child, will need to sign a parental consent to authorize their children to get the vaccine. If parents go to the vaccination site without an appointment, the parental consent form will be provided on-site.
"Throughout the pandemic, adolescents have been more likely to get infected than younger children and more likely than younger children to infect other people. Getting adolescents vaccinated will help stop the spread of the virus and bring the pandemic to an end," said Dr. Maria Rivera, Alternate Local Health Authority, Harris County Public Health.
CONTINOUS COVID-19 COVERAGE
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children now account for 22% of new COVID-19 cases, in the 47 states that release data by age.
Just one year ago, children only made up 3% of the U.S. cases.
With children 12 and older now being eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, COVID-19 cases among children may decline as more of them receive the vaccine. This will also help protect their unvaccinated family members and friends.