OSDH Says 16, 17-Year-Olds Eligible For Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine

State health leaders said 16- and 17-year-olds can now get vaccinated for COVID-19, with a few guidelines.

They are only eligible under phase 3 of Oklahoma’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout. The state health department said they can only get the Pfizer vaccine and their parent has to either go with them or show documentation of consent.

The Pfizer vaccine has been tested for those ages in their trials and approved.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health said they're aligning their eligibility with those FDA approved ages. They said Moderna only has approval for those who are 18 and older.

Dr. Bruce Dart with the Tulsa Health Department said it's important 16- and 17-year-olds have parental consent.

"Usually the parents are here when we do our vaccinations here, even if a relative comes if they're still in the home they still need that parental consent, and that's pretty much the way it's always been when it comes to administering children vaccines," Dart said.

Health leaders said Pfizer and Moderna are both going through clinical trials for younger children. It's unclear when approval for age groups under 16 years old would happen.