TAMPA, Fla. — In another major step for vaccinations in our area, Thursday marked the first day that kids ages 12 to 15 could get the Pfizer vaccine.
“I’m feeling pretty good!” said 12-year-old Luke Martinez-Monfort just minutes after getting his first shot at the Raymond James vaccination site.
“You’ve got to savor your years as a child while you have them,” said Luke. “And, with the pandemic, we haven’t been able to do the stuff that has kids would like to do before we go into adulthood.”
Luke, a 6th grader, is one of the first 12 to 15-year-olds in the Tampa Bay region to get the vaccine after he and his parents talked about it--including risks and concerns.
“Trying to get back to normal and into the normal stuff that we would do is, the vaccine will help with that,” he said. “And that’s one of the big decisions and reasons that drove me to make that decision.”
Luke’s mom, Amy, says she has faith they’re making the right decision after, “looking into a lot of the concerns other parents have. Fertility issues, how are the children going to react, what are the side effects going to be like? But, after I did my research, I feel comfortable with it,” she said.
It was the same for 15-year-old Julia Sanchez and her family. They were still careful--even around vaccinated relatives--until Julia could get vaccinated too.
“I personally thought that every reward outweighed every rest,” said Julia. “I thought that as soon as they were 12 to 15, I was on it. I’m going to be the first one out there to get it. All my friends are signing up. I was so excited.”
“It’s kind of scary to hear some of the symptoms that even young people are having,” said Julia’s mom Tonya, who’d seen information about Covid cases in younger people. “So, it was definitely a concern.”
Public health workers say they understand some parents may want to wait to see how things go, but they warn some public vaccination sites won’t be open forever.
It’s also not easy for doctors’ offices and pharmacies to store the Pfizer vaccine, currently, the only one authorized for ages 12 to 15, because it has to be stored at super-cold temperatures.
“Now is the time to take advantage of it because it is available in many parts of the county right now,” said Kevin Watler, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County. “But that’s not going to be the case forever,” he added.
Health workers expect demand for the vaccine in the 12-15 age group could grow as more kids see their peers getting the shot. Also, some summer camps and other programs might require it.
Kids getting the shot also need to be with a parent or guardian who can sign the consent form.
And remember, public health workers say, for now, only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for kids 12-15, so check ahead for availability at your chosen site.
“No one is forcing anyone to do something that they’re just not comfortable doing,” said Watler. “But this is the tip from the public health experts. Get vaccinated. It’s the way to put the pandemic behind us and ultimately protect lives.”
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