Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty

A nurse gives Sherri Trimble, 15, a shot of the vaccine at a vaccination clinic at Health First Medical Centre. On May 12, 2021

TheCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Director Rochelle Walensky is calling on parents to vaccinate their teens againstCOVID-19.

According to the study, adolescent hospitalization rates from COVID peaked at 2.1 per 100,000 in early January 2021, declined to 0.6 in mid-March, and rose to 1.3 in April.

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Teen receives COVID vaccine.Matthew Hatcher/Getty

A group of teenagers serving as ‘Covid-19 Student Ambassadors’ joined Governor Gretchen Whitmer to receive a dose of the Pfizer Covid vaccine at Ford Field during an event to promote and encourage Michigan residents to go and get their vaccines on April 6, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan

“Until they are fully vaccinated, adolescents should continue to wear masks and take precautions when around others who are not vaccinated to protect themselves, and their family, friends, and community,” she continued. “I ask parents, relatives and close friends to join me and talk with teens about the importance of these prevention strategies and to encourage them to get vaccinated.”

Detailing that getting vaccinated is “our way out of this pandemic,” Walensky noted, “I continue to see promising signs in CDC data that we are nearing the end of this pandemic in this country.”

“However,” she added, “We all have to do our part and get vaccinated to cross the finish line.”

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The new study and Walensky’s statements come afterModerna’s vaccine against COVID-19 was found to be safe and highly effective in children ages 12 to 17 last month.

In late May, the companyannouncedits findings from a clinical trial, called TeenCOVE, that involved more than 3,700 kids who either received the vaccine or a placebo.

Per the study, there were four cases of COVID-19 among the placebo group after two doses were administered, compared with none in the vaccine group — meaning the vaccine was 100 percent effective.

Moderna previously announced plans to send those findings to theFood and Drug Administration (FDA)in early June, per a company statement.

The news from Moderna came shortly after the FDA said that adolescents aged 12 to 15 are now approvedto get Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccineas well, after a “rigorous and thorough” evaluation to ensure its safety.

source: people.com