Half of Americans between ages 12 and 17 have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said during an Aug. 27 news briefing.
Mr. Zients said the vaccination rate among adolescents is growing faster than any other age group, a development he called "critical progress as millions of kids head back to school."
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, said the growing vaccination rate among adolescents is especially important as the school year begins, as inoculating as many people as possible who surround children under age 12 — who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 — is imperative for the safety of the country's youngest residents.
COVID-19 vaccination rates have been rising nationally, as the delta variant continues to spread and the FDA recently granted full approval to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for use in people ages 16 and older. As of Aug. 25, vaccination rates were rising in 46 states and down in four.