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UCHealth opens vaccine appointments to children 12+

UCHealth has been preparing for several weeks to be able to offer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to adolescents,
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Image by Angelo Esslinger from Pixabay

NEWS RELEASE
UCHEALTH
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Aurora, Colo. (May 12, 2021) – Following the authorization by the FDA to allow the use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents age 12 through 15 and today’s approval by the CDC, UCHealth will begin offering vaccinations to any Colorado residents 12 or older on Thursday morning, May 13. Clinical trials for this vaccine have shown 100% efficacy for this age group. UCHealth has already been providing COVID-19 vaccines for individuals ages 16 and older. 

 There are two options to get the COVID-19 vaccine at UCHealth clinics. People can schedule an appointment through My Health Connection, or they can walk into any of UCHealth's vaccine clinics.  For a list of clinic locations, or to schedule an appointment, people can visit www.uchealth.org/covidvaccine. 

Parental consent is required for anyone 12-17 years old. For their first dose at a UCHealth vaccine clinic, adolescents should be accompanied by a parent or guardian or have a parent or guardian sign UCHealth’s Vaccine Consent Form for Minors and bring it with them. (versión en Español.) 

 “UCHealth has been preparing for several weeks to be able to offer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to adolescents,” said Dr. Michelle Barron, senior medical drector of infection prevention for UCHealth. “The State of Colorado and our hospitals have seen increasing numbers of young people contracting COVID-19, and some have experienced longer-term complications. I’m happy to see the vaccine eligibility has expanded because I want as many people as possible to be protected from this virus.” 

Here are some commonly asked questions and answers from UCHealth: 

Q: Children don’t get very sick with COVID-19. Why should I get my child vaccinated?  

A: While children are at a lower risk of serious illness from COVID-19, they make up a larger share of the new virus cases across the U.S. as more adults get vaccinated. Children can still have symptoms and spread the virus to the adults around them. And doctors don’t always know which children are more likely to get seriously ill from COVID-19 and need hospital care. Getting a vaccine will lower the chance of illness for all children. 

People under age 21 make up about 25% of the U.S. population. If many children get a COVID-19 vaccine, the chance of reaching herd immunity -- when lots of people are immune to a disease -- goes up.  

There are many safe and effective vaccines for children for diseases like whooping cough, measles and meningitis. Providing vaccines for COVID-19 will become a standard measure of care to protect children.  

 Q: Will the COVID-19 vaccine affect my child’s fertility? 

A: No. The vaccine does not get incorporated into or change the DNA of the body’s cells in any way. There is no reason to worry that the vaccine will affect your child’s fertility. 

 Q: My child already had COVID-19. Should they get the vaccine? 

A: Yes. We don’t know how long immunity lasts after someone gets COVID-19. The vaccine is made to create a longer-lasting immune response. 

 UCHealth has made important advances to make vaccines more available, especially for those without access to a computer or smartphone, by establishing a COVID-19 vaccine hotline. Anyone who is unable to create a My Health Connection account may call the hotline where staff members can help to search for appointments. Translation services are available to ensure everyone can be cared for. 

UCHealth COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline: 720-462-2255 (Español: 844.945.2508). 

 

 

About UCHealth 

UCHealth is an innovative, nonprofit health system that delivers the highest quality medical care with an excellent patient experience. UCHealth includes 25,000 employees, 12 acute-care full-service hospitals and hundreds of physicians across Colorado, southern Wyoming and western Nebraska. With University of Colorado Hospital on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus as its academic anchor and the only adult academic medical center in the region, UCHealth is dedicated to providing unmatched patient care in the Rocky Mountain West. Offering more than 150 clinic locations, UCHealth pushes the boundaries of medicine, providing advanced treatments and clinical trials and improving health through innovation.