--- title: 12-15 Year Olds Can Now Get Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine description: The U.S. FDA extended authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine to 12- to 15-year-olds on May 10. canonical: https://time.com/6047384/teens-pfizer-covid-vaccine/ author: Alice Park article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2021-05-10T22:37:54.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-14T09:11:49.735Z article:section: Health og:title: 12-15 Year Olds Can Now Get Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine og:description: The U.S. FDA extended authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine to 12- to 15-year-olds on May 10. og:url: https://time.com/6047384/teens-pfizer-covid-vaccine/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb13164ad33ba9b75/698a198286f68e50526eff8a/luca-locatelli-baxter-biontech-vaccine.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2400 og:image:height: 1350 og:image:alt: luca-locatelli-baxter-biontech-vaccine og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 12-15 Year Olds Can Now Get Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine twitter:description: The U.S. FDA extended authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine to 12- to 15-year-olds on May 10. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb13164ad33ba9b75/698a198286f68e50526eff8a/luca-locatelli-baxter-biontech-vaccine.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Teens Aged 12 to 15 Can Now Get Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in the U.S. > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. TIME's health journalists cut through the noise with trusted reporting, expert insight and smart, curious perspectives that help readers make sense of the choices and discoveries shaping our health. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=30d9cba5-09a4-413e-a92a-b5d38d045484&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Weekdays | time.com/newsletters, September 2026 | | Written by | Written by TIME's health desk | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Health conscious and health connected. A broad health-conscious audience with a credible institutional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### TIME Health Matters: key statements * Health Matters is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Health Matters is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=30d9cba5-09a4-413e-a92a-b5d38d045484&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/subscribe?i=30d9cba5-09a4-413e-a92a-b5d38d045484&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's health newsletter? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health newsletter, written by TIME's health journalists. It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=30d9cba5-09a4-413e-a92a-b5d38d045484&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Vaccinating Younger Children Is The Next Step in the Battle Against Covid-19 [Watch (HLS stream): Vaccinating Younger Children Is The Next Step in the Battle Against Covid-19](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/OfRzsXdw.m3u8) (2:41)  _Published 2021-06-10. The U.S. FDA extended authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine to 12- to 15-year-olds on May 10._  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent May 10, 2021 10:37 PM UTC  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent May 10, 2021 10:37 PM UTC On May 10, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [extended authorization](https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-emergency-use) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to 12- to 15-year-olds. It’s the first COVID-19 shot authorized for this younger population. “I cannot tell you how many people have been anxiously awaiting this day to get their kids vaccinated,” says Dr. Flor Munoz, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, and a member of the infectious disease committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The green light was based on review of data the two companies [released in March](https://time.com/5951361/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-teens/) showing that two doses of their vaccine provided similar protection from COVID-19 disease among this age group as it did for adults. Among the more than 2,200 teens in the study group the FDA reviewed, 16 developed COVID-19—none of them were in the vaccinated group. The companies’ studies found that levels of virus-fighting antibodies were on average higher among the 12- to 15-year-olds that got the vaccine than among vaccinated 16- to 25-year-olds in previous studies. “This is part of the totality of getting our country protected against COVID-19, which is just waiting around the corner to come have another wave if we don’t get a sufficient degree of vaccination,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the FDA, during a briefing discussing the decision. The authorization was based on a so-called “bridging” study, in which researchers used data from the previous study in adults to set thresholds for safety and efficacy. Building off of the success of the adult studies enabled the scientists to enroll some 2,000 12- to 15-year-olds, rather than the tens of thousands of adults that the earlier studies required. “The goal was that if we could show that the immune response in 12- to 15-year-olds was as good or better than that in 16- to 25-year-olds, then that would make the argument that the 12- to 15-year-olds were getting the same type of antibody response, and that they should enjoy the same level of efficacy,” says Dr. Bill Gruber, senior vice president of vaccine clinical R&D at Pfizer. “It turns out the antibody response was even better among the 12- to 15-year-olds so the public can rest assured that the \[vaccine\] protection should be as high for them as for adults.” Now that the shot is authorized, the next step is to get it into arms. The Biden Administration said last week it was ready to start shipping more Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines directly to pediatricians’ offices, where many teens are treated, to make it convenient for them to get vaccinated. To accommodate the potentially smaller number of doses more doctors will need, Pfizer-BioNTech will begin shipping its vaccine in [smaller sized trays](https://time.com/6023398/pfizer-biontech-vaccine-smaller-packaging/) in the thermal containers that can keep the doses properly chilled. Some doctors, however, are still seeing some hesitancy among parents in vaccinating their kids. “I would say there is a 50-50 split between parents who can’t wait to give their kids the vaccine, and parents who are slightly or more hesitant,” says Dr. Allison Messina, chief of infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. Seeing other parents safely vaccinate their kids is helping to convince the latter group, she says, and seeing how much vaccination can contribute to helping their teens resume normal life is also key. The authorization should, for example, help schools and summer camps be safer environments if more teens get the shot. While, overall, younger people tend not be as affected by COVID-19 as older people are, as more of the older population is vaccinated and protected, new infections are increasing among younger people, with public health experts saying that the majority of hospitalizations in nearly half of states are among people under age 65\. Public health officials hope that vaccinating more teens will help to contain spread of the virus, especially during youth sports, school events and even family gatherings. “The more people are vaccinated in a school setting, the safer everyone is going to be from the disease,” says Messina. Munoz notes that many families may now have adults who are vaccinated but teens and young children who are not, and the teens could potentially be exposing the younger children, who aren’t eligible to get vaccinated yet, to infection. “If you can protect as many people as possible in the household, then you are also indirectly protecting those who cannot yet be vaccinated by providing fewer opportunities for the virus to come in,” she says. Since the FDA extended the authorization to 12- to 15-year olds, the Centers for Disease Control’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet on May 12 to make the official recommendation for recommending the vaccine for this age group. Pfizer and BioNTech are continuing to study their vaccine among even younger children. Gruber says the scientists will be looking to see if lower doses can be used in those aged six months to 11 years. ## Transcript [00:00] When COVID-19 began its devastating march of infection in 2020. [00:05] There was one glimmer of hope amid the darkness. [00:08] Young children did not seem to be getting infected as often as [00:12] adults. And when they did, they didn't seem to get as sick or [00:16] require hospital care. [00:18] Older people seem to be the most vulnerable, [00:21] so when vaccine makers were ready to test their [00:23] shots, they started with the elderly first. [00:27] When the first studies at the end of December 2020 were [00:30] reassuringly positive, showing that vaccines from Pfizer, BioNTech, and Moderna [00:35] were more than 90% efficacious, those companies immediately turn [00:39] their attention to children. [00:42] When it comes to new drugs or vaccines, scientists often start with adults first, [00:47] to make sure that the experimental therapies are safe. Young children's [00:52] immune systems are still developing, so testing unproven [00:56] treatments in them can potentially lead to long term harm. [01:00] But once the COVID-19 vaccines were shown to be safe [01:03] and effective in adults, researchers were more confident [01:07] in testing them in children. And that confidence was justified. [01:12] In March 2021, Pfizer and BioNTech reported that among [01:16] teens aged 12 to 15, who received the vaccine, none [01:20] reported symptoms of COVID-19. So in May 2021, the US Food and [01:26] Drug Administration extended the authorization for Pfizer [01:29] BioNTech's vaccine to include not just adults, but teens as well. [01:37] That same month, Moderna reported similarly positive [01:41] results in its trial among teenagers. Moderna has requested [01:45] the FDA to allow 12 to 15 year olds to also get vaccinated [01:48] with the Moderna shot. [01:52] Both companies are also testing their vaccines [01:55] in even younger children down to babies as young as six months old. [02:00] For these toddlers and babies, the companies are [02:02] testing lower doses of their vaccines, since younger [02:05] children's immune systems are often quicker to respond. [02:10] Vaccinating younger and younger children will be important in [02:13] the fall when schools reopen. Children who are immunized will [02:17] be safer in classrooms and be less likely to get infected or [02:21] spread the virus to others. Vaccinating children will also [02:25] mean that the virus will have fewer and fewer people to infect. [02:29] And that's the only way to control COVID-19 and put the [02:33] pandemic behind us. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6047384/teens-pfizer-covid-vaccine/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6047384/teens-pfizer-covid-vaccine/"},"headline":"Teens Aged 12 to 15 Can Now Get Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in the U.S.","datePublished":"2021-05-10T22:37:54.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-14T09:11:49.735Z","description":"The U.S. FDA extended authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine to 12- to 15-year-olds on May 10.","url":"https://time.com/6047384/teens-pfizer-covid-vaccine/","keywords":["COVID-19"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb13164ad33ba9b75/698a198286f68e50526eff8a/luca-locatelli-baxter-biontech-vaccine.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alice Park","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/alice-park/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb13164ad33ba9b75/698a198286f68e50526eff8a/luca-locatelli-baxter-biontech-vaccine.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"luca-locatelli-baxter-biontech-vaccine","caption":"Vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at a fill-and-finish facility operated by Baxter International in Halle, Germany, in March. Before they are labeled, the filled vials go through a final inspection.","creditText":"Luca Locatelli for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/covid-19/","name":"COVID-19"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6047384/teens-pfizer-covid-vaccine/","name":"Teens Aged 12 to 15 Can Now Get Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in the U.S."}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Vaccinating Younger Children Is The Next Step in the Battle Against Covid-19","description":"The U.S. FDA extended authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine to 12- to 15-year-olds on May 10.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/OfRzsXdw/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2021-06-10T18:32:46.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/OfRzsXdw.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/6047384/teens-pfizer-covid-vaccine/","duration":"PT2M41S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/6047384/teens-pfizer-covid-vaccine/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```