Michigan To Vaccinate Children Ages 12-15 If CDC Allows: Whitmer

LANSING, MI — Michigan will begin vaccinating children ages 12 to 15 if and when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signs off on the use of the Pfizer vaccine on people that age, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on Wednesday.

On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer vaccine — which is manufactured in Michigan — for children 12 and older. The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet later on Wednesday to review the FDA authorization and has the final sign-off before shots can be administered to the younger age group.

"We are ready to go in Michigan,' Whitmer said at a news conference.

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State health officials have been planning how to adapt to administering vaccines to a younger group of people. Lynn Sutfin, a spokesperson with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, recently told Patch that there are more than 3,300 COVID-19 vaccine providers across the state prepared to help the rollout to 12 to 15 year-olds.

"We are already working with pediatricians, school based health centers, family practice providers and others to assure access to vaccines for this population and MDHHS is looking forward to the opportunity to protect young Michiganders with the COVID-19 vaccine as well," she said.

In Michigan, more than 4.2 million people — and over 55 percent of the state's eligible population — have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. But officials reiterated on Wednesday the importance of vaccinating younger people as well.

Dr. Srikar Reddy joined Whitmer at Wednesday's news release and said that while children between 12 and 15 years old aren't among a high risk population, vaccinating them is key to controlling the spread of the virus and preventing the emergence of new variants.

Reddy shared that his 13-year-old son contracted COVID-19 in December and that he would be vaccinated as soon as possible.

"We're entering yet another new phase of the pandemic and there is light at the end of the tunnel," Reddy said.

As of Tuesday, Michigan has reported 867,341 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 18,338 COVID-19 deaths, according to state data. More than 703,000 people in Michigan have recovered from the virus, officials reported Saturday.

Wednesday's news conference came on the heels of Whitmer announcing that Michigan workers will be able to return to in-person office work as soon as May 24. That announcement was prompted by the state reaching its first milestone of its MI Vacc to Normal coronavirus reopening plan, which submitted that two weeks from when 55 percent of Michiganders 16 and up have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, all in-person work can resume.

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