Individuals 16 and older who have been fully vaccinated with any FDA-authorized or -approved COVID-19 vaccine for at least 6 months can now get a Pfizer booster shot.
- News
Although the rate of pediatric hospitalizations in California increased by more than 35% in the final weeks of December, vaccination rates among children ages 5-11 remain low. In some counties, the youth vaccination rate is below 5%. This is particularly the case in rural areas, where there is a shortage in vaccine providers. Experts say school-based vaccination sites would be a good way to get more children inoculated.
- News
This 12-page report includes examples of successful school-located vaccination clinics as well as resources for schools to host their own.
- School Profiles
This national survey of parents suggests that vaccine uptake among 12-17 year olds may have slowed and shows that a third of parents plan to wait and see before vaccinating their 5-11 year olds. Parents cite vaccine safety and potential side effects as key concerns, and parents of color were more likely to say they faced barriers to vaccine access. Parents receiving vaccine information from their schools were more likely to say their children had been vaccinated.
- Research
In modeling the risk–benefit trade-off for vaccinating kids under age 12, researchers at the Food and Drug Administration found that the number of COVID-19 cases prevented by vaccination vastly exceeds the number of myocarditis cases. The model suggests that COVID-19 vaccination will prevent one death per million vaccinated kids; no deaths from myocarditis are expected.
- Research
This FAQ addresses common questions that parents may have about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for children. It explains how mRNA vaccines (such as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines) work and the research that explains why vaccines are now considered safe for young children.
- Tools & School Guidance
On January 3, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12 to 15. The FDA also authorized a third shot for children ages 5 to 11 who are immunocompromised.
- News
This website has guides, templates, and sample messages for district leaders and others to use as part of a public education campaign to increase vaccination rates.
- Tools & School Guidance
Researchers studying the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in England found that people who are vaccinated and received a booster shot are much more likely to be protected from symptomatic infections than those who did not get a booster. The scientists also said that reintroducing safety restrictions could save thousands of lives and spare tens of thousands of people from hospital stays.
- News
This press release explains that pending full FDA approval for their age group, all California public schoolchildren will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as early as July 1, 2022, making California the first state with a mandate for students.
- News
This press release explains the new California public health order for all k-12 public school staff, who must either provide proof of vaccination or submit to weekly testing.
- News
California announces it has 4,000 locations ready to vaccinate children ages 5-11, including 3,100 school-located clinics covering more than 2 million students.
- News
This approval makes another 28 million children eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, which has been shown to be safe and effective at preventing illness and preventing the spread of the virus in children and adults ages 5 and up.
- News
In addition to describing the risks of COVID-19 infection faced by the unvaccinated, this article also presents the latest research on vaccine efficacy for those who are inoculated. It explains that all approved vaccines continue to provide strong protection for most vaccinated people against hospitalization and death but are less effective in protecting older adults, especially those with underlying medical conditions.
- Research
This webinar discusses safe school reopening strategies, the safety of the vaccine and the need to communicate its effectiveness, and ways that school leaders can provide more in-person education.
- Virtual Training
This interactive tracker displays the number of vaccinations by day and allows visitors to examine individual state rates.
- Data
This dashboard aggregates data on pediatric COVID-19 cases, youth vaccination rates, and numbers on schools that are operating in-person, hybrid, or remote.
- Data
This detailed guide offers strategies for how to overcome vaccine hesitancy, such as the use of vaccine ambassadors and motivational interviewing, with concrete examples of these strategies in action.
- Tools & School Guidance
This page, regularly updated with survey analyses, reveals the extent to which parents have vaccinated their children and their attitudes toward mask mandates.
- Data
This two-page FAQ explains what symptoms to expect after receiving the vaccines, particularly the second dose, as well as their safety and efficacy.
- Research
This toolkit provides several documents and guidance on how to encourage vaccination among staff, including printable posters and social media strategies.
- Tools & School Guidance
With no dissenting votes, an FDA advisory panel provided emergency use authorization for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. The vaccine has been shown to be more than 90% effective at preventing infections in this age group.
- News
This press release explains that after following 12,000 recipients for 6 months to observe long-term safety outcomes, the FDA has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in individuals age 16 and older. The vaccine had previously received only emergency use authorization (EUA) for this population. The EUA still applies for individuals age 12 through 15.
- News
This press release explains the science behind the agency's decision to authorize COVID-19 vaccines in youth aged 12 and older after examining the effectiveness of a randomized-control trial of more than 2,000 participants.
- News
This article highlights how California's aggressive COVID-19 policies, including requiring universal masking in schools and vaccinations for all students and staff, have enabled more schools to stay open. It emphasizes that the most effective way to keep young children safe is for more adults and older siblings and classmates to get vaccinated and reduce the opportunity for the virus to spread among their communities.
- News
This resource provides action steps and resources for school leaders to support COVID-19 vaccine uptake and improve health literacy among staff, students, and families in their community, including setting up a school vaccination clinic and establishing partnerships with community health organizations.
- Tools & School Guidance
This article, which is frequently updated, provides the latest information on vaccination rates by state, race, and ethnicity.
- Research
This article describes how one county became the first to schedule large-scale weekend vaccination events in October and November 2021 in anticipation of emergency use authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine by the FDA in children ages 5–11.
- News
This article summarizes recent findings that it is safe to mix and match COVID-19 vaccine types (Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Moderna). It clarifies when and who should receive booster vaccinations based on which vaccine they originally received and on their personal risk factors. It also explains the potential benefits of getting a booster that is different from the original vaccine received.
- News
This news article summarizes two September 2021 CDC reports and emphasizes that pediatric hospitalizations were more than three times higher in less vaccinated states, underscoring the importance of widespread vaccination among eligible adults and children. The studies find that the Delta variant does not appear to cause more severe illness in children but is much more transmissible.
- News
This FAQ states that individuals who have been infected with COVID-19 should still sign up for the vaccine, as re-infection is possible. It also makes clear that the vaccine cannot make individuals sick or alter their DNA.
- Research
This news article describes how more than 18,000 New York City public school teachers elected to receive their first shot the week before an October 4 deadline, mirroring the rush to vaccinate after the city issued a similar mandate for health care workers.
- News
This in-depth case study documents COVID-19 cases that occurred among Marin County, California, elementary school students and their contacts following exposure to an unvaccinated infected teacher. The case highlights the importance of mitigation best practices, including masking and vaccination.
- Research
This CDC study documents breakthrough infections among a cluster of fully vaccinated adults in Massachusetts attending Fourth of July festivities. Of those who had breakthrough infections, four (1.2%) were hospitalized; two of the four had underlying medical conditions.
- Research
This peer-reviewed article explains how to establish a school-based vaccination clinic, complete with a sample layout and a list of potential obstacles to consider.
- Research
This research brief summarizes successful mitigation strategies across five California school districts during fall 2021. Strategies include universal testing, test-to-stay quarantine policies, and school-based vaccination clinics.
- School Profiles
This website links to several resources for California schools to help administer vaccines, including request forms for mobile pop-up clinics, pharmacists, and volunteers.
- Tools & School Guidance
This study of 7,173 campers and staff members who attended nine different overnight camps around the United States found that with high vaccination coverage and frequent testing, including prearrival screening, there were only nine confirmed cases of COVID-19 and no secondary infections. Each camp also implemented stable cohorts, masking, physical distancing, and hand hygiene.
- Research
This article explains that several studies agree that most COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing hospitalization. The Pfizer vaccine remained 88% effective against the Delta virus variant in the UK and 87% effective in Canada.
- News
This press release summarizes a Kentucky study's findings that unvaccinated individuals who previously had COVID-19 were twice as likely to contract the disease a second time compared to those who were vaccinated.
- Research
This chatbot, developed by researchers with expertise in addressing vaccine hesitancy, is designed to answer questions about vaccinations in a nonjudgmental way, particularly for those who might be uncomfortable speaking with friends and family about COVID-19 vaccines, which have been proven to be safe and effective.
- Virtual Training
This webpage provides regular updates on the status of vaccine distribution by state, including numbers of people vaccinated and the number of doses allocated to each state.
- Data
The Workgroup reviewed safety data for the vaccine and finds expanding COVID-19 vaccination to those 5 years and older will protect them against the virus and its variants.
- News
This article, also available as a 4-minute listen, explains that hot spots are now occurring where there are very low rates of vaccination, especially rural areas and small towns.
- News
This news article explains that 65 million pediatric doses have already been purchased to administer to children once FDA approval arrives, which is expected by early November for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
- News
This study finds that 40% of surveyed Black families and more than 25% of Latino/a families have expressed hesitation about sending their children back to school in the fall, significantly higher proportions than White families. The authors conclude that schools need to continue communicating and consistently reaching out to families about local school safety precautions, virus caseloads, and vaccination rates among teachers and students.
- Research
This article emphasizes that the long-term risks to children from the vaccine are far lower than the risks associated with COVID-19 infection.
- Research