Parents excited over news that Pfizer vaccine 100% effective in young teens

ATLANTA — Some metro Atlanta school districts are reacting to the news following Pfizer’s announcement that its COVID-19 vaccine is 100% effective in children ages 12-15.

Channel 2′s Audrey Washington spoke with a local mother who said this is a game changer.

“I was very excited,” mother Marni Katz said.

She told Washington that as soon as she heard the news, she immediately thought about her twin teenage daughters and their classmates.

“I think it’ll make everyone feel more comfortable sending their kids to school,” Katz said.

Pfizer announced Wednesday that based on its findings on a placebo-controlled trial of more than 2,200 adolescents, its COVID-19 vaccine was 100% effective in combating the virus in teens ages 12-15.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Father, 5-year-old injured after stolen SUV crashes into their car, Atlanta police say
• ‘Horrific tragedy’: Teen girl shot, killed while hanging with friends in backyard
• Delta CEO blasts Georgia voting law, calling it “unacceptable”; Gov. Kemp responds

According to Pfizer, during that trial, none of the participants who received the vaccine developed the coronavirus.

According to the company, the vaccine was “well-tolerated” by the children in the trial. Pfizer reported some of the children did experience similar side effects as seen in adults.

“It’s a good thing,” Katz said.

Pfizer is pushing to vaccinate children before the start of the new school year. But right now, there’s no word on when the vaccine will become available to that age group in our state.

Washington asked the twins what they thought about the news.

“Were excited to get vaccinated, and we are eager to do whatever it takes to get life back to normal,” said Taylor Katz.

“Maybe things will start to reopen when more people get vaccinated,” Alexandra Katz said.

Following the announcement, Washington contacted several metro Atlanta school districts and asked if the new developments will in any way shape the next school year.

“Our student health services team is monitoring this development, and we are looking forward to any guidance public health agencies may have in this regard,” Fulton County Schools stated.

Gwinnett County Schools said, in part, that it “recognized the effectiveness of the vaccine.” It went on to state, “We continue to work with the Health Department to continue to communicate with our staff and to share information with families about the vaccinations and their availability.”

DeKalb County School District also responded, saying in part:

“DCSD does not have plans to vaccinate eligible students at this time. We encourage families to explore other opportunities to receive vaccines through the DCBOH, local pharmacies, or their medical provider.”

Pfizer says vaccine 100% effective for children ages 12-15 in trial, preliminary data show (NCD)

Cox Media Group