Seattle Children's gears up to vaccinate kids as young as 12. Younger kids could soon follow

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended that the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine be used with children as young as 12. The panel gave its recommendation to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wednesday afternoon.

With that, children 12 to 15 years old will soon be receiving their Pfizer shots. And vaccine trials for children under 12 are expected to begin by the end of the month.

Dr. Janet Englund with Seattle Children's Hospital says she is gearing up for those trials to begin in children as young as 6 months. She says children are eager to take their turn, even if that involves a typically not-so-welcome needle.

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"The children really want to get back to a more normal life, and the word 'normal' comes up a lot," Englund says. "Normal is their memory of the way things were over a year and a half ago."

They want to get back to school, sports, drama and even band; the activities that rooted them in their own communities before the pandemic struck.

Older teens are enjoying more freedom as they're vaccinated. Everyone 16 years and older are already eligible for a vaccine. And Seattle Children's Hospital is preparing to offer clinics for 12- to 15-year-olds as soon as possible.

More information about vaccines for children is available on the hospital's website.