Unprecedented': Adolescents 12 and up may consent to receive Pfizer shot

The Philadelphia Board of Health last month updated the Emergency Order Concerning COVID-19 Vaccine Information Statements to allow individuals 11 years of age and older to consent to their own injection with the experimental Pfizer COVID-19 biological agent under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), without the approval or consent of a parent or guardian. In this case, an EUA "Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers" would substitute for a Vaccine Information Statement.Currently, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is only authorized for 12 years of age and older. The language "11 years and older" in the Philadelphia Board of Health order aligns with the original regulations that give individuals 11 years and older the ability to consent for approved vaccines with a Vaccine Information Statement.The unaccompanied minor presenting for vaccination can be vaccinated, subject to a vaccine provider’s determination that the minor "is able to, and does provide, informed consent."Click here to download PDPH’s Emergency Order Concerning COVID-19 Vaccine Information Statements.