HANCOCK COUNTY — A COVID-19 vaccine will soon be available to children as young as 12.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration late Monday expanded the emergency use authorization for a vaccine made by Pfizer to adolescents ages 12 to 15. Pfizer’s novel coronavirus vaccine was already available to children as young as 16.
Shots could begin as soon as Thursday, after a federal vaccine advisory committee issues recommendations for using the two-dose vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds. An announcement is expected today (Wednesday, May 12).
The expansion offers a way to protect the nation’s adolescents before they head back to school in the fall and paves the way for them to return to more normal activities.
Dr. Gary Sharp, Hancock County health officer, pointed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance that states those who are fully vaccinated do not need to isolate after having close contact with someone with COVID-19.
“Particularly for the athletes, it’s going to open up a lot more opportunities for them,” Sharp said.
He hopes to see as many children as possible get vaccinated before the 2021-22 academic year and hopes their parents will as well if they haven’t already.
“I think that’ll make next school year a much different year,” he said.
Tim Livesay, director of pharmacy for Hancock Regional Hospital, which has a COVID-19 vaccine clinic, said it will be interesting to see if parents bring their children to clinics for vaccinations or if there will be school vaccination programs led by the county health department.
“They have a lot of experience with school vaccinations,” Livesay said.
Most COVID-19 vaccines worldwide have been authorized for adults. Pfizer’s vaccine is being used in multiple countries for teens as young as 16, and Canada recently became the first to expand use to 12 and up.
The Food and Drug Administration declared that the Pfizer vaccine is safe and offers strong protection for younger teens based on testing of more than 2,000 U.S. volunteers ages 12 to 15. The agency noted there were no cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated adolescents compared with 16 among kids given dummy shots. More intriguing, researchers found the kids developed higher levels of virus-fighting antibodies than earlier studies measured in young adults.
The younger teens received the same vaccine dosage as adults and had the same side effects, mostly sore arms and flu-like fever, chills or aches that signal a revved-up immune system, especially after the second dose.
Pfizer is not the only company seeking to lower the age limit for its vaccine. Moderna recently said preliminary results from its study in 12- to 17-year-olds show strong protection and no serious side effects. Another U.S. company, Novavax, has a COVID-19 vaccine in late-stage development and just began a study in 12- to 17-year-olds.
Next up is testing whether the vaccine works for even younger children. Both Pfizer and Moderna have begun U.S. studies in children ages 6 months to 11 years. Those studies explore whether babies, preschoolers and elementary-age kids will need different doses than teens and adults. Pfizer expects its first results in the fall.
Children are far less likely than adults to get seriously ill from COVID-19, yet they represent nearly 14% of the nation’s coronavirus cases. At least 296 have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. alone, and more than 15,000 have been hospitalized, according to a tally by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
That’s not counting the toll of family members becoming ill or dying — or the disruption to school, sports and other activities so crucial to children’s overall well-being.
In Hancock County, residents 19 and younger make up 16.1% of known COVID-19 cases and no novel coronavirus deaths.
Updated statewide school data on Monday showed seven schools in the county each added fewer than five new COVID-19 cases among students recently.
COVID-19 vaccinations in Hancock County have been slowing. On Tuesday, the hospital’s and health department’s clinics had multiple same-day appointments available.
“Our new appointments have dropped off considerably, so the majority of what we’re doing is second appointments,” Livesay said, adding the clinic now also accepts walk-ins.
Starting July 6, the hospital’s clinic will switch to all walk-in 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
By the time the hospital’s clinic completes second appointments, it will have done about 40,000 injections, Livesay said, meaning about 20,000 have been fully vaccinated through the clinic.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Getting the vaccine” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
COVID-19 vaccinations in Indiana are currently available to those age 16 and older. One vaccine was recently authorized for children as young as 12, which is expected to start soon. To sign up for a vaccine, visit ourshot.in.gov. Assistance for signing up at state-supplied sites is also available by calling 211.
In Hancock County, vaccines are available at clinics at Hancock Regional Hospital and the Hancock County Health Department. Shots also are available at Meijer in McCordsville and at Walmart (offering walk-ups), Kroger, Walgreen’s and Medicap in Greenfield. Although not listed on the state’s website, CVS’s website indicates it has shots available at its Fortville, McCordsville and New Palestine locations.
[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”By the numbers” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
COVID-19 data as of early Tuesday, May 11
Hancock County
- 107 new tests (April 27-May 10)
- 5 new cases (May 10)
- 6.5% seven-day (April 28-May 4) positivity rate all tests, 9.3% cumulative rate
- 0 new deaths
- 104,304 total tests administered
- 42,889 total individuals tested
- 8,284 total cases
- 10.9% seven-day (April 28-May 4) positivity rate unique individuals, 19.3% cumulative rate
- 141 total deaths
- 31,899 fully vaccinated
- 36,138 first vaccine doses in two-dose series (58.2% of population age 16+)
Indiana
- 14,934 new tests (May 10-15), 3,029 new individuals tested
- 687 new cases (May 10)
- 5.3% seven-day (April 28-May 4) positivity rate 8.8% cumulative rate
- 15 new deaths (April 13-May 9)
- 10,050,352 total tests administered
- 3,427,454 total individuals tested
- 730,969 total cases
- 13.4% seven-day (April 28-May 4) positivity rate unique individuals, 21.3% cumulative rate
- 13,018 total deaths
- 416 total probable deaths
- 55.9% ICU beds in use – non-COVID
- 8.9% ICU beds in use – COVID
- 35.2% ICU beds available
- 16.8% ventilators in use – non-COVID
- 2.8% ventilators in use – COVID
- 80.4% ventilators available
- Hospital census: total 880 COVID-19 patients (665 confirmed, 215 under investigation)
- 1,858 total variant cases
- 2,167,259 fully vaccinated
- 2,451,687 first vaccine doses in two-dose series (44.8% of population age 16+)
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
[sc:pullout-text-end]
