By: Kaitlyn Kudriavetz, Writer / Follow South Jersey Child Welfare Intern
BRIDGETON, N.J. — Vaccines are officially available for community members aged 12 and older at Bridgeton High School on May 19.
Bridgeton High School’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic will take place at the school from 10 a.m. through 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Those who are eligible to be inoculated can pre-register for a vaccine appointment here. Walk-ins will also be accepted, depending on vaccine availability.
The CDC has approved the use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine model for 12-to-15-year-old adolescents as of May 12, thus prompting the rollout seen in schools across New Jersey and the United States.
“This official CDC action opens vaccination to approximately 17 million adolescents in the United States and strengthens our nation’s efforts to protect even more people from the effects of COVID-19,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement after approving the lowered age limit.
Gov. Phil Murphy has yet to come out with a concrete plan on how to get vaccines to this newly-eligible age group, but he’s encouraging these vaccinations to take place “in an environment that is comforting and accessible, whether it be through partnerships with their schools or their pediatricians, a local pharmacy, or even at one of the mega-sites,” according to a state Department of Health spokeswoman.
Out of the 26,000 total New Jersey citizens who have died from COVID-19, only seven deaths have been people under the age of 18. Still, getting this age group vaccine is emphasized to help manage and reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission to older, at-risk groups.
“Having this age group vaccinated will help us fight this virus even further,” state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said. “Adolescents want to get back to seeing their friends. They want to get back to going on trips. The best way to do that is to get vaccinated.”
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This article was produced by a Follow South Jersey news intern thanks to a grant provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through the New Jersey Health Initiatives program to create hyper-local news to meet the informational and health needs of the City of Bridgeton, N.J.
