Children’s Hospital Colorado offering COVID-19 vaccines for kids 16+
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Officials at the Children's Hospital of Colorado are urging parents to get their teens vaccinated after Governor Jared Polis and Colorado State Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy warned of a rise in Covid-19 cases in children.
In April of 2021 alone, there have been 24 additional active outbreaks at schools in El Paso County, more than any other setting. As a result, six schools in Colorado Springs District 11 have recently regressed back to remote learning.
Officials at Children's said in order to lower infection rates in kids, kids 16 and up need to get vaccinated. For kids 15 and younger, it’s still not an option. Pfizer has asked the FDA for emergency use authorization of its Covid-19 vaccine to people ages 12 to 15 in the U.S. Hospital officials are hoping the expansion is approved within the next few weeks.
“A lot of people who seek care in our hospital have kids with a lot of complex medical problems," said Sara Saporta-Keating, an infectious disease specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado. "Those parents, for the most part, are really interested in getting their kids vaccinated."
Both Children's Hospital locations in Colorado Springs and Aurora are now offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for teens 16 and older. The hospitals' supplies vary depending on deliveries from the state, but generally, they have appointments available Monday through Friday.
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