Central District Health supports federal and state recommendation of Pfizer vaccine for Emergency Use Authorization for those aged twelve to fifteen

CENTRAL DISTRICT HEALTH — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), approved and recommended administering the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use authorization (EUA) to those 12 and older. Central District Health (CDH) supports the federal and state recommendation and encourages all providers in CDH’s jurisdiction to start administering Pfizer vaccine immediately to those 12 and up, who chose to get vaccinated.

Pfizer Locations in CDH’s jurisdiction

Many providers are offering walk-in clinics and appointments, as well as providing mobile clinics that bring the vaccine to employers, organizations, and communities in need. CDH’s Vaccine Locations list details what vaccine each provider has. Below are the providers who currently have and are administering the Pfizer vaccine. Individuals can make appointments online through scheduling systems, by calling or walking into clinics. CDH’s Vaccine Locations list is available in Spanish.

• AFC Urgent Care | Ada County
• Albertsons / Sav-on Pharmacy | Ada, Elmore & Valley Counties – (Walk-ins welcome)
• Cascade Medical Center | Valley County
• Crush the Curve Idaho | Ada County
• Family Medicine Health Center (FMRI) | Ada County – (Walk-ins welcome)
• Medicap Pharmacy | Ada County
• Primary Health Medical Group | Ada County – (Walk-ins welcome)
• Saint Alphonsus Health System | Ada County – (Walk-ins welcome)
• St. Luke’s Health System | Ada, Elmore & Valley Counties – (Walk-ins welcome at certain locations)
• Terry Reilly Health Services | Ada County
• Walgreens | Ada County – (Walk-ins welcome)
• Walmart | Ada & Elmore Counties – (Walk-ins welcome)

According to the CDC, as of May 12, more than 176 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been delivered in the U.S. and over 141 million have been administered. According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) as of May 11, 630,696 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been administered in Idaho and 262,379 doses have been administered in CDH’s jurisdiction.

CDH County Vaccine Rates
The Pfizer vaccine being approved for EUA by the CDC, FDA, and ACIP helps CDH’s jurisdiction get closer to 70-80% of people vaccinated, to achieve herd immunity. CDH’s county vaccine rates illustrate where the four-county district is sitting currently. IDHW’s Vaccine Data Dashboard breaks down Idaho’s seven health districts vaccine rates and the counties within them. “Our jurisdiction has a long way to go to get close to the ideal percentages of fully vaccinated individuals. Pfizer’s emergency use authorization expanding to include part of the younger demographic helps us get closer to reaching that targeted goal,” said Russ Duke, District Director for Central District Health. “Every dose counts in achieving community immunity and gets us closer to a normalcy we hope to see again soon,” added Duke.

Vaccination rate for those who are 16 years of age or older, as of May 12, 2021:

• Ada County | 55%
• Boise County | 27%
• Elmore County | 29%
• Valley County | 55%

FDA Authorizes Emergency Use Authorization in Adolescents

On Monday, May 10, 2021, the FDA further opened the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer- BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to include adolescents 12 through 15 years of age. Upon review, FDA determined the vaccine met the criteria to revise the original EUA, knowing that the potential benefits of the Pfizer vaccine in those 12 and older, outweigh the possible risks, in turn supporting the vaccine’s usage for this population.

FDA Evaluation of Available Safety Data
On May 10th, the FDA issued a press release detailing the on-hand safety data from the clinical trials conducted. The available data included 2,260 participants, ages 12 to 15-years-old. In total, 1,131 received the vaccine and 1,129 received a saline placebo – over half were monitored for about two months following their second dose. The most common reported side effect was pain at the injection site, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain, and fever. Most of these were reported as more severe after the second dose.

FDA Evaluation of Available Effectiveness Data
The effectiveness data looked at how well the vaccine worked and measured the immune response, as well as analyzing COVID-19 cases shown in participants after finishing their series. The FDA completed an analysis of COVID-19 cases, seven days after the second dose was administered. No cases were found among the 1,005 vaccine recipients demonstrating a 100 percent effective rate in prevention. The FDA stated, “At this time, there are limited data to address whether the vaccine can prevent transmission of the virus from person to person. In addition, at this time, data’s not available to determine how long the vaccine will provide protection.”

CDH’s Vaccine Allocations
Allocations of the Pfizer vaccine to CDH’s jurisdiction are anticipated to be consistent within recent week volumes – this week, 8,190 Pfizer doses were anticipated to arrive. To date, healthcare providers in CDH’s jurisdiction have received a total of 214,010 doses between the three authorized COVID-19 vaccine brands.

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Information Resources
Call Center: 208-321-2222 – Open M-F, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Vaccine webpage
COVID-19 Vaccine Locations
Localidades de Vacunas contra el COVID-19
Mobile Vaccine Provider list

Media Contacts:
Alina Gilmore, 208-830-2540 | agilmore@cdh.idaho.gov