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Connecticut preparing to administer Pfizer vaccine to children 12 and up by the weekend

There are 1,563,845 residents who have been fully vaccinated.

CONNECTICUT, USA — The FDA has granted emergency authorization of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine for use in children 12 and up.  A CDC panel is expected to sign off on the recommendation Wednesday. 

The State is already preparing to administer to the new age group this weekend. 

"We will be very well prepared for that expansion of eligibility," said Josh Geballe. 

Geballe, Connecticut’s Chief Operating Officer, says the state has already requested additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine for what they expect to be a busy weekend.   

"If we can do as well with that age group as we're doing with the 16 and 17-year-olds, it is going to be a very good summer," said Governor Ned Lamont. 

The FDA says the two-dose Pfizer BioNTech vaccine “met the statutory criteria” to allow for the emergency approval. They added that the “known and potential benefits of this vaccine in individuals 12 years of age and older outweigh the known and potential risks.” 

Teens involved in the study who received the same dose as adults reported similar symptoms including sore arms, chills, and aches. 

"Younger kids have very robust immune systems and respond very well to vaccines," said Dr. David Banach, the Head of Infection Prevention at UConn Health. "I think seeing that high level of response and then also the vaccine efficacy was extremely high. There were no cases in the group in the clinical trial that got the vaccine."

According to Dr. Banach, Pfizer has already begun clinically testing children even younger than 12. Although, there is no timetable for a potential expansion of eligibility. 

An East Hartford rally calling to end the state’s mask mandate for children questioned the FDA’s findings and what it could mean for class in the fall.   

"I have some safety concerns as a parent that I don't want this for my daughter and I don't want this to be a passport for her education," said Kevin Larsen. 

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