PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Department of Health (SD-DOH) announced that adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15, are now eligible to receive their COVID-19 vaccination statewide. The announcement comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorized the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use for this age group. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also recommended this last Monday evening.
“Given vaccines have proven safe and effective, offering them to this age group is yet another way to protect our citizens and our communities against COVID-19,” said Daniel Bucheli, SD-DOH Communications Director. “Our partners across the state stand ready to get shots in arms, and we encourage parents to protect their children from the virus by getting them vaccinated today.”
According to U.S. Census data, 48,120 state residents qualify under this age group. Under South Dakota law, parental consent is still required to vaccinate minors.
Residents can directly connect with a health partner serving their area by texting GETVAX to 438-829 (English) and/or VACUNA to 822-862 (Spanish), to find the nearest vaccination location to them. As of 05/12/21, over 50% of the eligible population in the state has chosen to be vaccinated and zero cases of serious adverse reactions have been recorded.
To get the most up to date COVID-19 data, updated daily, please visit the Department of Health dashboard.