12-15 year olds vaccine experiences

[*Jessica*]

1 hour ago, Danae said:

Chain.  I did put in birthdates, but the first question was a check-box that said "I am currently eligible for a COVID vaccine."  I wonder if they made that the only restrictive field when they initially set it up so they didn't have to keep updating the criteria for different states.

Lucky you!  I can’t get him signed up anywhere yet.  I was really hoping I could schedule it tonight, but no luck.

[Danae]

Just now, StillJessica said:

Lucky you!  I can’t get him signed up anywhere yet.  I was really hoping I could schedule it tonight, but no luck.

Reading later articles I'm worried that Wednesday is too early.  If their corporate office doesn't clear it right after the CDC vote we'll have to reschedule.

[*Jessica*]

3 minutes ago, Danae said:

Reading later articles I'm worried that Wednesday is too early.  If their corporate office doesn't clear it right after the CDC vote we'll have to reschedule.

Fingers crossed you don’t have to!

[YaelAldrich]

Here in MA, there are a few places that have started to sign up the 12-15 set including some school systems.

[kokotg]

I made an appointment for my 15 year old for Friday (this place specified that it was for 16+ only through Wednesday, but let me sign him up for after that). And he'll get the second dose just a few days before we leave for our 2 month long summer trip, so perfect timing. Now there's only the 8 year old left waiting. 

[KSera]

16 minutes ago, kokotg said:

 

I made an appointment for my 15 year old for Friday (this place specified that it was for 16+ only through Wednesday, but let me sign him up for after that).

 

If anyone finds a chain that is allowing under 16‘s schedule already, can you share which chain? (I say chain because it’s unlikely anyone else is going to live near the same place.)

[Acorn]

7 hours ago, KSera said:

If anyone finds a chain that is allowing under 16‘s schedule already, can you share which chain? (I say chain because it’s unlikely anyone else is going to live near the same place.)

Yes please share. Did you use online scheduling? I haven’t been able to find a system ready for under 16. I need to schedule around orchestra concerts in case they get a sore arm.

[Soror]

I'm trying to decide if I should go ahead and get dd1 her first shot or not. She finishes school next week. I'm nervous it will make her feel bad and she'll end up missing school and they won't excuse it (btdt with my son).

[Ditto]

49 minutes ago, Soror said:

I'm trying to decide if I should go ahead and get dd1 her first shot or not. She finishes school next week. I'm nervous it will make her feel bad and she'll end up missing school and they won't excuse it (btdt with my son).

My thought process towards getting my family vaccinated is that absolutely nothing has been more important.  It didn't matter what was going on, as soon as we could be vaccinated, we were.  The rest would just work itself out.    So I would go ahead and get her first shot if she were mine.  Congratulations on Pfizer being approved for 12 and up!  It is exciting!

[historically accurate]

I tried all the local places this morning - 2 county health departments, Walgreens, Meijer, and a local private pharmacy. 

Walgreens is the only one that mentions the 12-15 age group with a "Check back for details". Everyone else let me enter the info and then kicked me out with a not eligible message. 

[Lecka]

I just saw on Facebook — a pharmacy about 45 minutes away is setting appointments for next Thursday!!!!!!!!!!

I hope to go closer, but it is exciting 🙂

 

Edited May 11, 2021 by Lecka

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, Soror said:

I'm trying to decide if I should go ahead and get dd1 her first shot or not. She finishes school next week. I'm nervous it will make her feel bad and she'll end up missing school and they won't excuse it (btdt with my son).

I had the same thought.  My kids are done on the 27th and maybe they won't have any side effects, but I don't want to mess with the end of the year either.  My oldest is in high school and then end of the year is busy.

[mommyoffive]

To Vaccinate Younger Teens, States and Cities Look to Schools, Camps, Even Beaches (msn.com)

[Acadie]

11 hours ago, Danae said:

Reading later articles I'm worried that Wednesday is too early.  If their corporate office doesn't clear it right after the CDC vote we'll have to reschedule.

In Ohio, Governor DeWine said the state is doing everything they can to get eligibility and appointments opened up Wed for this age group. With vaccine demand lagging in so many states I think politicians and public health officials will try to move ahead quickly with 12-15s.

Hoping I can get an appointment for dd15 Fri or Sat. She's running post-season meets for her track team and this would give her the longest interval before the next meet. Then she'll be ready for her second dose right about when the season is over. 

 

[Sneezyone]

We have a local walk-in, mass vax clinic that’s dosing 16-17yos everyday with Pfizer. Adults are getting J&J now. I assume that’s because they’re holding the Pfizer for kids. I’m hoping they will add the preteens at the end of the week. I feel like DH, DD and I lucked out by getting the Pfizer before the floodgates open for kids. I wouldn’t have been so keen to get the J&J. 

Edited May 11, 2021 by Sneezyone

[Kassia]

5 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

We have a local walk-in, mass vax clinic that’s dosing 16-17yos everyday with Pfizer. Adults are getting J&J now. I assume that’s because they’re holding the Pfizer for kids. I’m hoping hey will add the preteens at the end of the week. I feel like DH, DD and I lucked out by getting the Pfizer before the floodgates open for kids. I wouldn’t have been so keen to get the J&J. 

My dd is 18 and waiting until she comes home from college to be vaccinated.  I prefer she gets Pfizer and am a bit nervous about demand now that it's open for 12-15.  Hopefully, by the time she gets home and is ready, Pfizer will be available for her.  

 

[Acadie]

Giant Eagle is setting up clinics for 12-15s in my area that they hope to open 3-9 pm this Thursday, pending some kind of approval. Registration isn't open but I'm keeping my eye on this and the mass vax site downtown where dh and I were vaccinated. 

[Sneezyone]

24 minutes ago, Kassia said:

My dd is 18 and waiting until she comes home from college to be vaccinated.  I prefer she gets Pfizer and am a bit nervous about demand now that it's open for 12-15.  Hopefully, by the time she gets home and is ready, Pfizer will be available for her.  

 

I was surprised by the speed with which they shifted what’s being offered to adults. Presumably the Moderna is being routed to satellite pharmacies and private practices?

[hippymamato3]

3 hours ago, Soror said:

I'm trying to decide if I should go ahead and get dd1 her first shot or not. She finishes school next week. I'm nervous it will make her feel bad and she'll end up missing school and they won't excuse it (btdt with my son).

Why wouldn't a sick day be excused?

[catz]

3 hours ago, Soror said:

I'm trying to decide if I should go ahead and get dd1 her first shot or not. She finishes school next week. I'm nervous it will make her feel bad and she'll end up missing school and they won't excuse it (btdt with my son).

I will say I know lots of teens and young adults who've had it at this point and almost none of them had any issues with dose 1.  My 16 year old had a slightly sore arm, did all her normal activities the following days.  She was achy, tired, chills for maybe 12-15 hours in total after dose 2. 

It's weird they wouldn't give you an excuse for that but I'd have no problem just saying she is sick if needed.  

[maize]

I called my county health department and they said they are planning to open appointments for 12-15 year olds as soon as the CDC panel announces its decision.

We currently have lots of appointments going unfilled; I'm in a red state and demand is not keeping up with supply.

[KSera]

3 hours ago, historically accurate said:

I tried all the local places this morning - 2 county health departments, Walgreens, Meijer, and a local private pharmacy. 

Walgreens is the only one that mentions the 12-15 age group with a "Check back for details". Everyone else let me enter the info and then kicked me out with a not eligible message. 

Does anyone know how you would go about scheduling one for a kid on the Walgreen site who isn’t part of your  pharmacy account? My kid has never had a prescription ( I just realize that typing this, that’s weird),  and when I try going through the motions just to see how Walgreen site works, it automatically fills me in as the patient, in an uneditable field. It takes me a while to even get there, because as soon as I go to look up the closest vaccine site, it logs me in and boots me back out to the main Walgreen site and I end up in a loop before I can finally get it to actually show me vaccine sign up stuff.  I want to be ready to know how to do it when it opens up. Anyone have any instructions?

57 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

I was surprised by the speed with which they shifted what’s being offered to adults. Presumably the Moderna is being routed to satellite pharmacies and private practices?

We have a lot more Moderna around here than anything else right now, it seems. It doesn’t seem right to shift all the adults to Johnson and Johnson though, given that the adults are at higher risk than the kids. I realize Pfizer is the only thing they can give the kids, I just don’t think they should be prioritized ahead of adults in this particular case. Perhaps they’re finding that adults who have delayed getting a shot to this point tend to be more amenable to the one shot vaccine anyway?

[Sneezyone]

12 minutes ago, KSera said:

Does anyone know how you would go about scheduling one for a kid on the Walgreen site who isn’t part of your  pharmacy account? My kid has never had a prescription ( I just realize that typing this, that’s weird),  and when I try going through the motions just to see how Walgreen site works, it automatically fills me in as the patient, in an uneditable field. It takes me a while to even get there, because as soon as I go to look up the closest vaccine site, it logs me in and boots me back out to the main Walgreen site and I end up in a loop before I can finally get it to actually show me vaccine sign up stuff.  I want to be ready to know how to do it when it opens up. Anyone have any instructions?

We have a lot more Moderna around here than anything else right now, it seems. It doesn’t seem right to shift all the adults to Johnson and Johnson though, given that the adults are at higher risk than the kids. I realize Pfizer is the only thing they can give the kids, I just don’t think they should be prioritized ahead of adults in this particular case. Perhaps they’re finding that adults who have delayed getting a shot to this point tend to be more amenable to the one shot vaccine anyway?

I haven’t looked at all of the sites, just the mass vax one where DD went b/c they have all-day walk in appointments and more capacity than the local pharmacies and dr. Offices. I don’t think the Moderna is gone, I just think they’re prioritizing this mass vax site for kids. Adults have had plenty of time to access the mass vax sites here. You may be right about the one dose tho. I don’t know. I know with the kids needing two doses, the big clinics will be plenty busy so reducing second visits from adults may make sense. We have 30% full vax and 50% at least one dose statewide. High interest for teens/tweens too.

Edited May 11, 2021 by Sneezyone

[Soror]

1 hour ago, FuzzyCatz said:

I will say I know lots of teens and young adults who've had it at this point and almost none of them had any issues with dose 1.  My 16 year old had a slightly sore arm, did all her normal activities the following days.  She was achy, tired, chills for maybe 12-15 hours in total after dose 2. 

It's weird they wouldn't give you an excuse for that but I'd have no problem just saying she is sick if needed.  

My son did have a bad reaction to both shots- lots of fatigue and missed school both times. He had been diagnosed with COVID before but it still gives me pause. 

1 hour ago, hippymamato3 said:

Why wouldn't a sick day be excused?

Because the school is stupid. I couldn't reason with them.

3 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

I had the same thought.  My kids are done on the 27th and maybe they won't have any side effects, but I don't want to mess with the end of the year either.  My oldest is in high school and then end of the year is busy.

Yes, there is a lot going on now and I know dd would not be happy if I pushed it up and she had to miss something. WE are talking a difference of maybe 3 weeks.

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, Soror said:

My son did have a bad reaction to both shots- lots of fatigue and missed school both times. He had been diagnosed with COVID before but it still gives me pause. 

Because the school is stupid. I couldn't reason with them.

Yes, there is a lot going on now and I know dd would not be happy if I pushed it up and she had to miss something. WE are talking a difference of maybe 3 weeks.

Yeah you said she is done next week.  I would just wait. 

[Penelope]

23 minutes ago, KSera said:

 

We have a lot more Moderna around here than anything else right now, it seems. It doesn’t seem right to shift all the adults to Johnson and Johnson though, given that the adults are at higher risk than the kids. I realize Pfizer is the only thing they can give the kids, I just don’t think they should be prioritized ahead of adults in this particular case. Perhaps they’re finding that adults who have delayed getting a shot to this point tend to be more amenable to the one shot vaccine anyway?

I read that a lot of the federal (FEMA?) mass vax sites (I think the person upthread said it was a mass site where she could only get J and J) are closing or have closed, so when it gets close to closing they don’t give the two dose anymore because they can’t offer appointments for the second dose. So it’s not necessarily that there isn’t enough of the mRNA. 

Edited May 11, 2021 by Penelope

[MercyA]

For Indiana peeps:

The U.S. FDA has expanded its Emergency Use Authorization of the Pfizer vaccine to include adolescents ages 12 to 15. The next step is for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make a recommendation, which is expected late Wednesday. If the recommendation is favorable, eligibility for the Pfizer vaccine in Indiana will be open to anyone 12 and older starting at 8 a.m. Thursday.

https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/vaccine/index.htm

Edited May 11, 2021 by MercyA

[KSera]

Does anyone know how ages will be verified for these kids who are too young for most of them to have ID?

[*Jessica*]

4 minutes ago, KSera said:

Does anyone know how ages will be verified for these kids who are too young for most of them to have ID?

Probably birth certificates.

[Sneezyone]

4 minutes ago, StillJessica said:

Probably birth certificates.

Yep. It also verifies that the person bringing the child is authorized to approve the vaccine administration. DH was told he needed DD's birth certificate or passport.

[kbutton]

2 hours ago, Acadie said:

In Ohio, Governor DeWine said the state is doing everything they can to get eligibility and appointments opened up Wed for this age group. With vaccine demand lagging in so many states I think politicians and public health officials will try to move ahead quickly with 12-15s.

Hoping I can get an appointment for dd15 Fri or Sat. She's running post-season meets for her track team and this would give her the longest interval before the next meet. Then she'll be ready for her second dose right about when the season is over. 

 

Are you using the statewide portal?

[Sneezyone]

35 minutes ago, Penelope said:

I read that a lot of the federal (FEMA?) mass vax sites (I think the person upthread said it was a mass site where she could only get J and J) are closing or have closed, so when it gets close to closing they don’t give the two dose anymore because they can’t offer appointments for the second dose. So it’s not necessarily that there isn’t enough of the mRNA. 

Yeah, our mass vax sites aren't closing but they are gearing up for kids. We have relatively high uptake rates in this state.

[SKL]

8 minutes ago, StillJessica said:

Probably birth certificates.

In the past, I've never had to show proof of age for my kids to get a vax.  I hope they would take the parents' word for it.

[KSera]

4 minutes ago, SKL said:

In the past, I've never had to show proof of age for my kids to get a vax.  I hope they would take the parents' word for it.

At the pediatricians office, I wouldn’t expect I need to show anything. Our pediatrician is actually scheduling 12-15--year-olds along with 16 to 18-year-olds for their vaccination clinics, but their spots are all full. They know all my kids’ ages, so they wouldn’t need it. I have had a kid vaccinated at Walgreens once, but I can’t remember if I did anything other than sign forms and provide my own ID. I’ll make sure I can lay hands on the birth certificate, in case it’s needed. I expect that would make a barrier for more people getting their kids vaccinated though, because not everyone has birth certificate copies on hand.

[catz]

I didn't have  to show anything for my 16 year old at a public clinic.  Covid has delayed permit/license for her. Just needed a parent to sign off.  

[SKL]

6 minutes ago, KSera said:

At the pediatricians office, I wouldn’t expect I need to show anything. Our pediatrician is actually scheduling 12-15--year-olds along with 16 to 18-year-olds for their vaccination clinics, but their spots are all full. They know all my kids’ ages, so they wouldn’t need it. I have had a kid vaccinated at Walgreens once, but I can’t remember if I did anything other than sign forms and provide my own ID. I’ll make sure I can lay hands on the birth certificate, in case it’s needed. I expect that would make a barrier for more people getting their kids vaccinated though, because not everyone has birth certificate copies on hand.

I have had my kids' done at Walgreens also, and there was no ID required, other than my insurance card, which doesn't have their names on it.

But I guess I'll bring my kids' passport cards just in case.  🙂

Edited May 11, 2021 by SKL

[Penelope]

I think that if they don’t require anything, there will be some nonzero number of 9-11 year olds being vaccinated.

Although probably not many, because then the record of it would be in question later on.
I hope everyone is set up to put information into state registries. I know pharmacies are, because it’s already possible to get boosters there.

Edited May 11, 2021 by Penelope

[SKL]

If they are taking your insurance card, they may be able to look up the ages of people covered online?  Not sure.  I do know that they weren't taking any kind of ID when I went to a mass vax site.

[Innisfree]

9 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said:

I didn't have  to show anything for my 16 year old at a public clinic.  Covid has delayed permit/license for her. Just needed a parent to sign off.  

Same here, at a large clinic run by a local pharmacy. We did show our insurance cards, fwiw.

[rebcoola]

I tried to sign up for an appointment Friday for the mass site but it won't let me yet.  They said they expect to get guidance Wednesday.  Hoping that even if the state doesn't open fully to 12-15 we'll be able to do overflow here because our mass site has hundreds of open slots a day.

[Acadie]

25 minutes ago, kbutton said:

Are you using the statewide portal?

That's where I've been looking for the mass vax site, but eligibility is 16+ now.

The info on Giant Eagle came from dd15's high school. It was kind of funny because they sent out a registration link quickly followed by another email saying registration for 12-15 was on hold, pending approval. 

[Ditto]

16 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said:

I didn't have  to show anything for my 16 year old at a public clinic.  Covid has delayed permit/license for her. Just needed a parent to sign off.  

Covid has delayed my 17 year old getting her permit/license too.  She got vaccinated at the hospital where her drs are located so all I had to do was sign permission.

[Ditto]

At least one hospital system in my state is vaccinating 12-15 year olds starting today.  I was surprised to see them starting this quickly but am happy they are. 

[kbutton]

4 minutes ago, Acadie said:

That's where I've been looking for the mass vax site, but eligibility is 16+ now.

The info on Giant Eagle came from dd15's high school. It was kind of funny because they sent out a registration link quickly followed by another email saying registration for 12-15 was on hold, pending approval. 

When my 16 y.o. was vaccinated, he was vaccinated at a mass site that opened to 16 y.o.'s early, and they gave us instructions on how to bypass the portal. 

I emailed that county's health department to find out if they are planning to hold mass vaccination for this age group. 

[Loowit]

I haven't seen anything official from my state on what their plan is for opening vaxes to 12-15 yos.  I hope they will do it as soon as they can.  I would like to get DS vaxed, but I can't set up an appointment until the state guidelines change.

[SKL]

At the moment there is 1 driveable children's hospital that is offering vax appointments, but most of them are during the school day, duh?  I found one for 3:30pm that we could probably make, but it was on May 20, and I'm hoping that we'll have more options before then.

Apparently FDA approval isn't enough for most vendors.  I guess they want to wait for the CDC vote and maybe also something additional from our state department of health?  I assume our Gov. will be all over this though ....

[Acadie]

On FB from a friend in Boulder, CO:

Local friends, BCH is now scheduling vaccines for 12-16. You can call (long wait) or schedule through the portal. Got both kids appointments for tomorrow! Woot!

[goldenecho]

Seriously, you made my day too.   So happy. 

[Danae]

21 hours ago, Danae said:

Reading later articles I'm worried that Wednesday is too early.  If their corporate office doesn't clear it right after the CDC vote we'll have to reschedule.

Too early.  They just called and cancelled.  😞

 

[Not_a_Number]

2 minutes ago, Danae said:

Too early.  They just called and cancelled.  😞

 

Oh, drat 😞