TOLEDO, Ohio — Following the FDA issuing emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine for people ages 12 to 15, local doctors are breaking down why the shot is safe for kids.
"I mean the main reason to get kids vaccinated is even though kids don't tend get as sick as adults do, the main thing they can do is to help protect the people around them" said Dr. Jennifer Hanrahan, an Infectious Disease Expert with the University of Toledo and ProMedica.
While the vaccine is still not fully FDA approved, emergency use authorization is not granted without lengthy research.
"I do think it's really important for people to understand this does not mean corners were cut or things were sped up in a dangerous way, not at all," Hanrahan said.
If you're a parent who plans to get their child vaccinated as soon as it's available, expect full clearance from the CDC as early as Thursday.
Pfizer is the only vaccine currently being offered for anyone under the age of 18. Doctors say getting younger people vaccinated will be the key to opening schools fully in the fall.
And as the vaccine becomes available for kids, getting reliable information from credible sources is important.
"We should be paying attention to science, not social media for getting our medical information," Hanrahan said.
For more information about kids and the COVID-19 vaccine, click here.