CDC: COVID-19 Vaccine Very Effective at Preventing Hospitalization Among Adolescents

If your adolescent child remains unvaccinated against COVID-19, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a compelling reason to get him or her vaccinated.

The CDC’s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report details a study that found the Pfizer vaccine, the only one currently authorized for use for those ages 12 to 17, offers robust protection against hospitalization among adolescents.

The study evaluated vaccine effectiveness in 12- to 18-year-olds admitted to 19 pediatric hospitals around the U.S. Vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalization was 93%, meaning nearly all of those hospitalized adolescents were unvaccinated. And all of those who required intensive care treatment, including lifesaving measures, were unvaccinated, as were two adolescent patients who tragically died.

The results continue the drumbeat of research confirming that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe illness and death among all eligible age groups, including adolescents.

I hope you will review this report and talk with your child’s doctor if you still have questions about vaccination. COVID-19 vaccines are safe, free, and widely available around the state. We expect the Pfizer vaccine to be available to ages 5-11 in early November following rigorous trials that found it safe and highly effective.

Please find a convenient provider at azhealth.gov/findvaccine and get your adolescent child vaccinated today.

By Jessica Rigler|2021-10-21T14:01:49-07:00October 21st, 2021|Preparedness|Comments Off

About the Author: Jessica Rigler

Jessica Rigler, an Arizona native, began her public health career more than 15 years ago, serving in varied roles with local, state, federal, and international public health agencies. Jessica has been with the Arizona Department of Health Services for over 12 years, supporting evaluation activities with the state immunization program, serving as the state’s first Healthcare Associated Infections Coordinator, and leading the Bureau of Epidemiology and Disease Control. She is currently an Assistant Director overseeing the Division of Public Health Preparedness at ADHS, which spans the areas of Epidemiology and Disease Control, Emergency Medical Services, Public Health Statistics, Public Health Emergency Preparedness and the Arizona State Public Health Laboratory. In recent years, Jessica has worked with the ADHS team to lead critical public health responses including opioids and COVID-19. Jessica holds Bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and human development from the University of California, San Diego, and a Master’s degree in public health from Emory University. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist and certified in infection control.