Sanford Health Is Prepared for Vaccinating Adolescents

If the FDA approves the move, the vaccine will be given emergency authorization for use for adolescents ages 12 to 15.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — The FDA is reviewing the Pfizer vaccine for children age 12 to 15 next week.

“We are able to cover more bases in our community from keeping that virus from spreading. As well as providing benefit to people who want to be protected from COVID-19, including those who are 12 to 15-year-olds,” Manager of Pharmacy Services, Sanford Health Nate Leedahl said.

If the FDA approves the move, the vaccine will be given emergency authorization for use for adolescents. Children from ages 12 to 15-year-olds could get vaccinated.

“The data that the ACIP and the FDA will be reviewing has been released in part already and we’ve been looking at that data and will continue to do so as those regulator bodies review it. But, it’s showing a really high protection rate,” Leedahl said.

The Pfizer clinical trial has shown that there is a 100 percent efficacy rate. According to the data, the children who received the vaccine did not develop COVID-19 after being vaccinated. So if Pfizer is approved, when will Sanford Health begin vaccinations?

“We’re going to monitor the progress of the data review closely and so we can’t answer that in specifics, but I think what we’re hearing across our footprint and nationally we wouldn’t be surprised if we were vaccinating children between 12 and 15 by the end of May,” Leedahl said.

Leedahl says Sanford has the supply to expand the vaccination rollout.

“We’re confident that the vaccine supply that’s available to us and will be available will be more than enough to cover those that are 12 and 15 that want to be vaccinated with their guardian or parental support,” Leedahl emphasizes.

According to Sanford, their vaccination process has been going well.

“We received great support from our state health entities and we had lots of coordination in delivering vaccines as quickly and efficiently as we can, We feel like it has been a successful process,” Leedahl explained.

Moderna is reportedly in the process of testing its vaccine on children.