Children get vaccinated on Long Island

Vaccinations are now being administered to children 12 years old and older all across the United States. 

"If I were to get COVID I would end up in the ICU and would have to get oxygen," said Edis Kacamakovic, 15, who has cystic fibrosis, so catching COVID could leave him severely ill. 

As his mom Sanela Kacamakovic watched her son get the vaccine at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park on Thursday, she fought back tears of joy.

"I'm so happy for Edis, I'm very excited, I'm very emotional," Sanela said. "I want Edis to see the grandparents now in Europe.

Nassau Community College in Garden City is also vaccinating children as well as anyone else who is eligible through Sunday.

This comes after the FDA granted emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine this week in adolescents age 12 through 15. The CDC also now recommends that the Pfizer vaccine be given to this age group.

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"We know kids spread it and clearly adolescents spread COVID, and for the kids to be vaccinated and have a much much lower chance, if any, of spreading it is really key," said Dr. Charles Schleien of Cohen Children's Medical Center.

Sydney Glover, 13, of South Ozone Park, Queens, has asthma and sickle cell anemia. She called this day "life-changing."

"Being vaccinated means I can do more things like going back to school and travel and dance and spend more time with my family," Glover said.

New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi reported that hundreds of appointments for adolescents were made overnight and he expects to see thousands more in the coming days.

Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are also expected to ask for emergency use authorization for kids in this same age group over the coming weeks and months. Trials within those companies are being done right now.

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