Children 12 to 15 across DC region now able to get Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine

Children in the D.C. region as young as 12 will now be able to get Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine after U.S. health advisers endorsed its use on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON - Children in the D.C. region as young as 12 will now be able to get Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine after U.S. health advisers endorsed its use on Wednesday.

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Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the inoculations will allow kids to safely attend camps this summer and will help assure a more normal return to classrooms in the fall.

The news means that everyone in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. – 12 years old and older -- can now get the vaccine.

CORONAVIRUS IN DC, MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA

Pfizer's vaccine has been used for months in people 16 and older. Before making it available to younger kids, much of the country was awaiting recommendations from CDC's advisers.

Officials say the panel concluded the same dose adults use is safe and strongly protective in those 12 to 15 years old, too.