The FDAâs decision came on Monday: It would authorize emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds. Two days later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention followed suit, recommending that adolescentsâthe youngest population yetâbegin receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. By Thursday morning, less than 24 hours after the CDCâs endorsement, the nurses at Mt. Lebanon School District were inoculating middle schoolers, watching them wriggle with anticipation, calming them as they winced at the needles and then celebrating the momentous occasion with them. At the dayâs endâin five hours, to be preciseâabout 10 nurses had helped administer nearly 1,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to students, averaging about four kids a minute. They had perfected the process, problem-solving every hiccup, after months of practice administering the vaccine to adults in the community, including school staff. Itâs what allowed them to turn the vaccine clinic around so quickly after the CDCâs announcement. (Well, that and their newfound ability to transition from in-person to remote learning at a momentâs notice.)