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Alpine County Health Department, 75-B Diamond Valley Rd., Markleeville, CA 96120 Alpine County Board of Supervisors, Phone: (530) 694-2281 District 1: January Riddle, District 2: Ron Hames, District 3: Irvin Jim, District 4: Terry Woodrow, District 5: David Griffith Friday May 28, 2021 Vaccinating Our Kids Aged 12-17 – Our Future! To encourage reluctant citizens to get vaccinated, a newly completed video, Explaining COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines: An Animated Story for Kids, can help. It joins another COVID-19 video, Animated Coronavirus Story for Kids 1: How Grandpa Got COVID-19. These videos, created for children with easy-to-understand information, can educate adults as well. KEY MESSAGES: Protection from COVID-19 is within reach for even more of our loved ones. Young people aged 12 and over are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, allowing more of our community to be protected from the virus. When more of us become vaccinated, we can feel safer as restrictions are lifted and life begins to return to a sense of normalcy. When 12- to 17-year-olds are vaccinated, families can be safer as they venture out more, go on vacations and get back to doing the things they love. We can protect our families and community by helping the eligible young people in our lives get vaccinated, enabling them to safely return to in-person schooling and hanging out more often with friends. After clinical trials proved the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective in protecting against severe illness, hospitalization and death in young people aged 12 and over, the FDA granted emergency use of the Pfizer vaccine for this next age group. Public Health Brief Richard O. Johnson, M.D., MPH Nichole Williamson Public Health Officer HHS Director Office: [PHONE REDACTED], Ext 249 Office: [PHONE REDACTED] e-mail: [EMAIL REDACTED] 24/7/365 Emergency Contact Number Dispatch: [PHONE REDACTED], Ext 330 Warm Line: [PHONE REDACTED] ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Health Department, 75-B Diamond Valley Rd., Markleeville, CA 96120 Alpine County Board of Supervisors, Phone: (530) 694-2281 District 1: January Riddle, District 2: Ron Hames, District 3: Irvin Jim, District 4: Terry Woodrow, District 5: David Griffith - Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was authorized by the FDA for youth aged 12 and over on May 10. After safety reviews by the CDC and the Western States Scientific Safety Review group on May 12, it can now be administered to this next age group in California. - Pfizer was the first vaccine to submit trial data for authorization to immunize this age group. Moderna is expected to submit trial data soon. - The Pfizer vaccine has already been safely administered to millions of California adults, and 30 percent of 16- and 17-year-olds. Vaccine trials and approvals commonly begin with older, more vulnerable populations then extend to younger ages. - The Pfizer vaccine was found to be safe for the 12-15 age group with only non-dangerous side effects like fatigue, fever and headache. As grandparents and more of the adults around us become vaccinated, the focus shifts to our younger population as they remain susceptible. With more of our loved ones able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, we can have comfort in knowing young people over age 12 are protected and our communities are moving closer toward immunity. - Less than a month ago, California expanded eligibility to residents 16 and up. Already, more than 30 percent of Californians aged 16 and 17 have received at least one dose. - This broadening of COVID-19 vaccine authorization to younger people will build on the success we are experiencing in getting the majority of the population vaccinated. California is ready to safely deliver vaccines to young people aged 12 and over. Young people have been heroic throughout this pandemic, donning masks and putting their young lives on hold. They have suffered stress and isolation. Now it is their turn to join grandma and grandpa, mom and dad, aunts and uncles, guardians and neighbors, teammates and friends in getting vaccinated. - We can help protect young people against the severity and ongoing threat of COVID-19 by helping them get vaccinated when they become eligible. - Vaccinating young people helps to protect their families and communities. - Vaccinating young people will help schools function normally and allow more parents to go back to work. - It’s exciting that more people in our communities can enjoy protection against COVID-19. The more vaccinations get into the arms of eligible Californians, the more we stop the spread and shrink the pool of people vulnerable to COVID-19. ---PAGE BREAK--- Alpine County Health Department, 75-B Diamond Valley Rd., Markleeville, CA 96120 Alpine County Board of Supervisors, Phone: (530) 694-2281 District 1: January Riddle, District 2: Ron Hames, District 3: Irvin Jim, District 4: Terry Woodrow, District 5: David Griffith While things are looking up, it is important to remember that the pandemic isn’t over yet. - We need to stay vigilant against COVID-19 and its variants. That means getting vaccinated, encouraging our friends and families to get vaccinated, and helping our young family members get vaccinated when it becomes available for them. - By getting vaccinated and encouraging others to get vaccinated, you are protecting yourself and everyone around you. If you or someone you know is eligible and hasn’t yet been vaccinated, choose to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you can to protect your loved ones until they can get theirs, too. For more information on how to obtain COVID-19 vaccine for your 12-17 year old, please call our Warm Line at [PHONE REDACTED].