Adolescents are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations.
The Sedgwick County Health Department on Thursday began offering the Pfizer vaccine to kids over 12 years old.
No appointments are needed at the county’s mass clinic at the former library downtown or at any of the mobile clinic locations. However, parents or legal guardians are required to give permission for kids to get shots.
Sedgwick County Health Director Adrienne Byrne said expanding vaccines to children will help stop the spread of the disease. Even though fewer children have been sick with COVID-19 compared to adults, children can still be infected with COVID-19 and there’s no way to tell in advance whether they might have a very mild case or severe case, Byrne said. The county estimates that there are 45,000 kids in the 12 to 17 age range in Sedgwick County.