The FDA recently approved the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use for children ages 12-15. This news comes as a surprise considering that most of the public assumed that children would be getting the vaccine in late August to early September. 

While the vaccine was approved already for people 16 and up, the use of the vaccination provides a beacon of hope for the future. According to the FDA, “The FDA’s expansion of the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to include adolescents 12 through 15 years of age is a significant step in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “Today’s action allows for a younger population to be protected from COVID-19, bringing us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy and to ending the pandemic.” By continuing to have younger generations get vaccinated, the closer we are as a society to moving past this pandemic. Along with America, the EU has also recently filled for the same emergency for the same age range. 

The CDC has also started to loosen up most of the indoor and outdoor for fully vaccinated individuals. According to Healthline, “Masks will still be required in crowded settings like planes, public transportation, prisons, and homeless shelters, per the guidance. The guidance also states that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks outside, even in crowds. Unvaccinated people still need to adhere to the masking and safety protocol.” So while people will need to be double vaccinated and show proof, such as a vaccination card, there is light at the end of the tunnel regarding the world returning to normalcy.