From County Health Services:
Children between the ages of 12-15 can now get Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine at all county-run clinics.
The County is expanding eligibility after the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommended Pfizer’s COVID vaccine for use in this younger age group. Previously, the Pfizer vaccine was only approved for people ages 16 and older.
“This is a big day for parents and kids who have been eager to get vaccinated against COVID,” said Supervisor Diane Burgis, chair of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. “We are looking forward to many households in Contra Costa County where all the adults and children are fully vaccinated.”
The County has already begun working with the Contra Costa County Office of Education, local school districts and Kaiser Permanente to host vaccination clinics at various middle schools and high schools in the coming weeks. Details will be announced in the next few days.
“Every student who receives a vaccine is a hero, who protects themselves, and their family, teachers and friends,” said Lynn Mackey, Contra Costa County’s Superintendent of Schools. “We appreciate the school superintendents and principals across the county who are stepping up to host vaccine clinics on their campuses. Easy access matters to high vaccine rates and to healthy communities.”
Nearly 700,000 county residents ages 16+ have received at least one dose of vaccine already. About 65,000 residents in Contra Costa fall between ages 12-15.
Pfizer is the only vaccine approved for use by those who are ages 12-17. The other two COVID vaccines in the United States made by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are still only available to people ages 18 and older.
Contra Costa County will provide vaccine to any eligible person regardless of whether they are a county resident or not. No appointment is needed, although people can still schedule one if they prefer by going to covidvaccine.cchealth.org or by calling 833-829-2626. The state also offers appointments at myturn.ca.gov.
When coming to our vaccination clinics, we recommend that minors be accompanied by a parent or guardian. If a parent or guardian cannot be present, we ask for written consent or, when that is not feasible, we may accept verbal consent over the phone. A consent form is available at cchealth.org.
