With California is set to drop all its COVID-19 restrictions in two weeks, the next big push is to fully vaccinate 12-to-15 year olds.
Many Bay Area doctors have already begun gathering supplies.
Just over a quarter of California's 12-to-17-year-olds have received at least one shot but in Marin County the rate is 70 percent, which is where at least ten pediatric offices started receiving county doses of the Pfizer vaccine last week.
“The CDC has said that you get vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines with any other vaccines that (kids) may be overdue for,” County Health Officer Dr Matt Willis said. “For example we know our 7th graders need to get vaccinated for pertussis or chicken pox. They used to say that you had to have a two week buffer between the COVID-19 vaccine and then the other shot, which made it logistically challenging because it meant you had to come back twice. Now that’s no longer the case, you can have all the vaccines happen at once.”
Willis said that is another reason to book an appointment now, as kids will be able to have the full two shot course when they head off to summer camps or sports leagues.
Alameda County is set to start handing out Pfizer vaccine to kids, doctors and smaller medical practices in areas with lower vaccination rates.
