May 15, 2021 Development of major COVID-19 in Georgia

Lucy Sarabia, 13, and her mother, Robin Mead, celebrate after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from Feonamac, a registered medical assistant at the Decalve Children’s Center, on Wednesday. (Hyosub Shin / [email protected])

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Vaccine eligibility expanded

The FDA has allowed children between the ages of 12 and 15 to be vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The expansion of adolescent vaccination eligibility shows significant progress in national vaccination efforts and raises hope. For schools that return to normal in the fall, at least for older students.

According to the 2019 Census, 585,882 young people in Georgia, or 6% of the population, fall into this age group of 12-15 years.

The CDC’s Vaccine Advisory Board has agreed with the FDA’s move. Data from scientists show that the benefits of vaccines for children outweigh the risks.

People flocked to such a large number of vaccination sites at Mercedes Benz Stadium, which accepts walk-ups. (Alyssa Pointer / [email protected])

Credit: Alyssa Pointer / [email protected]

Credit: Alyssa Pointer / [email protected]

According to one study, many of the 1,131 adolescents who received the Pfizer vaccine did not experience a reaction. For those people, the reaction was similar to what older teenagers experienced. The most common were temporary fatigue and headaches.

Experts say they are reassured by the safety data from the study and the information gathered from the millions of 16- and 17-year-old vaccinations who were given access to the vaccine in March.

On Wednesday alone, more than 1,000 children between the ages of 12 and 15 came to the DeKalb Children’s Center for the vaccine. The center has partnered with the local municipal school system. For many, Pimplic was the first ticket on a journey to freedom after a blockade of more than a year of life.

The state is working to enroll pediatricians in the vaccine program and has not disclosed how many people currently have the only Pfizer vaccine approved for minors. With parental permission, children between the ages of 12 and 15 do not need to be vaccinated in a pediatric clinic and can be vaccinated at any vaccination site in Georgia.

The battery was busy celebrating a brunch on Mother’s Day last Sunday. The CDC has released new guidelines that fully vaccinated people will most likely not need to wear a mask. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Jenny Gartman)

Credit: Jenni Girtman

Credit: Jenni Girtman

Full vaccination allows the mask to be thrown away more often

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said that anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without having to wear a mask or physically separate. It was.

“If you’re fully vaccinated, you’ll be able to quit because of a pandemic,” Warensky said.

CDC guidance still requires wearing masks in crowded indoor environments such as buses, planes, hospitals, prisons, and homeless shelters. It helps clarify how to reopen work, school, and other places.

Evidence from the United States and Israel shows that the vaccine is very effective in the real world, according to Warensky, and so far continues to show protection against variants that spread to the United States.

The more people continue to be vaccinated, the faster the number of infections will decrease — and the more difficult it will be for the virus to mutate, she emphasized. She urged everyone over the age of 12 to apply for vaccination.

Some vaccinated people are still infected with COVID-19, but it is rare, and Warren says these infections tend to be mild, short, and difficult to spread to others. Mr. Ski said.

There are some caveats. Walensky advised people with weak immunity, such as organ transplants and cancer treatments, to consult a doctor before taking off the mask. This is due to continued uncertainty as to whether the vaccine can improve the weakened immune system and whether it can improve the healthy immune system.

Also, new guidance can cause confusion, as businesses and others do not have a reliable way to distinguish between those who are completely vaccinated and those who are not.

Warrensky emphasized that people who are not fully vaccinated should continue to wear masks indoors.

As with the Associated Press, staff writers Ty Tagami, Ariel Hart, and Tim Darnell contributed to this report.