ORLANDO, Fla. – Some Central Florida school district leaders are making plans so they’re ready for when the Food and Drug Administration approves emergency use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on children as young as 12.
The Pfizer vaccine, along with the Johnson & Johnson formula, is already available to those 16 and older, as long as the minor has parental consent.
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If the FDA approval is granted in a matter of days as expected, Pfizer will be the first to inoculate those in the 12 to 15 age range.
President Joe Biden said the plan is to ship doses directly to pediatricians once that approval is granted. That way, it’ll be easier for parents to get access for their children.
Central Florida has also seen vaccination events at local high schools to give students the opportunity to get the shot while on campus and it’s possible the region could see more of those as time goes on.
News 6 contacted school districts to see how they’re preparing for the age expansion. Their responses are below.
Brevard Public Schools
“We do not have any plans to offer on-campus vaccinations at this time. As we move into planning for the next school year, we will provide updates as they become available.”
Lake County Schools
“We do not have an announcement on this at this time.”
Marion County Public Schools
“We currently have no plans to offer vaccinations on our campuses. We as a school district are continuing to provide information as it is released to our students; however, it is completely the student’s choice (along with their parent/guardian) if they choose to get vaccinated.”
Orange County Public Schools
“We are excited to hear that more students will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. We continue to work with the Florida Department of Health in Orange County and our health partners to determine if additional vaccination events will occur in our schools.”
School District of Osceola County
“No decisions have been made on this at this time.”
Seminole County Public Schools
“We’re definitely excited to hear that news. Too soon for us to answer your other questions at this time. That has a lot to do with our community partners Seminole County Government and Florida Health Department in Seminole since they distribute the vaccines and help facilitate. If able, we’d love to do similar mobile clinic opportunities like we’ve done in the past with our SCPS employees and high school aged students.”
Sumter School District
“We are glad there is a wider vaccine age range for parents to consider. We are currently finalizing a schedule for on-site age 16 and up vaccines with written parent consent but would certainly be willing to accommodate parents in expanding those options if they wanted their child to be vaccinated.”