CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Following the action of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanding the emergency use authorization of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents ages 12 to 15, West Virginia will immediately begin offering the vaccine to this group.

The West Virginia Joint Interagency Task Force for COVID-19 Vaccines will coordinate this effort across the state with the help of partners including the West Virginia Department of Education, local health departments, pharmacies, and many others.

“This is an important step in our fight against the pandemic,” said Dr. Ayne Amjad, State Health Officer and Commissioner of the DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health. “Younger populations are contracting the virus and spreading it and choosing to be vaccinated will help stop the spread. We encourage all eligible West Virginians to choose to be vaccinated as soon as they get the opportunity.”

Please visit www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more information on the COVID-19 vaccine.