CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to authorize Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for middle school students, children as young as 12, next week.
Currently, the Pfizer vaccine is only authorized for patients 16 and older, and is the only vaccine available to minors. Due to the likeliness of approval, Mecklenburg County health leaders are already discussing ways to overcome vaccine hesitancy, as a recent study shows more than 25% of parents have no plans to vaccinate their children.
Dr. Meg Sullivan, Mecklenburg County's public medical director, says parents need to understand the authorization process before denying their kids a chance at the shot.
“First thing for parents to understand is this is the same process as the 'adult' shot in regards for safety and effectiveness," Sullivan said during a county meeting Wednesday night.
Gibbie Harris, the county's public health director, agreed.
"I think the opportunity to send information home through schools to parents is a good avenue for getting info into their hands," Harris said.
In other school districts across the country, educators have embraced vaccines for students 16 and up, with some schools scheduling clinics during school hours and rewarding kids who take the vaccne.
Sullivan said her hope is for similar efforts to happen in Mecklenburg County for 12- to 15-year-olds.
“We've been having conversations with CMS and non-CMS schools to provide vaccine events," said Sullivan. "We expect to have more info in the next few weeks."
Have a relative or friend in another state and want to know when they can get vaccinated? Visit NBC News' Plan Your Vaccine site to find out about each state's vaccine rollout plan.
Last month, Pfizer released preliminary results from a vaccine study of close to 2,300 volunteers ages 12 to 15. The results showed there were zero cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated adolescents compared with those age 18, some of whom were given placebo shots.
Moderna is also going through clinical trials to lower the age requirement from 18 years old to 12.
Contact Billie Jean Shaw at bshaw@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.