5,000 12-to-15-Year-Olds Get COVID Vaccine on First Day of Eligibility

(INDIANAPOLIS) — About 5,000 kids age 12-to-15 got vaccinated against COVID-19

Thursday, the first day they were eligible.

The newest eligibles represent about 40% of those who got their first vaccine dose on

Thursday. It’s a little more than 1% of the 360,000 kids in that age group.

Nurse Tiffany Davis with the Marion County Health Department says there’s been a slow ramp-up

with each expansion to a new age group. She says the department’s vaccine clinic on Indy’s

westside had about 80 appointments for 12-to-15-year-olds for Friday, the second day of eligibility.

That clinic and others accept walk-ins as well. The new Centers for Disease Control guidance on

masks may be having a side effect on vaccinations. Davis says there were about 100 walk-ins

after the CDC announced you don’t need to mask up once you’re fully vaccinated. Davis says

many people appear to have taken that as the incentive they needed.

Of the three COVID vaccines approved for use in the U-S, only the Pfizer vaccine is approved fror

people under 18. A parent or guardian needs to accompany them for their first dose and sign a

consent form. For the second dose three weeks later, Davis says a parent can designate up to

three adults who can fill that role in their place.