Teens discuss COVID-19 booster shots

(ABC 6 News) – As of now, according to the CDC, over 13 million 12 to 17-year-olds have received two Pfizer shots.

With the Food and Drug Administration giving the green light for Pfizer booster shots for 12 to 15-year-olds, we’re now hearing from them about what they think of this news.

"I know that when I get the booster I’ll be able to help prevent other people from getting COVID and myself," Briella Treitline, a sixth-grader at Kellogg Middle School said.

"It was really quickly developed, and no one knows the long-term side effects that could happen to a younger person’s body," Dominik Burkhard, a freshman at Byron High School said.

Two kids, two different perspectives.

Briella’s 12 and fully vaccinated.

She’s on board with the F-D-A’s decision to have kids like herself be eligible for a booster shot.

"Definitely get it if you can, not just for yourself, but for other people. This has been going on for three years now and people are getting so tired of it. If you get the vaccine, then it may stop it eventually," Treitline said.

As much as she’s for the booster, she just wants life to be normal again.

"The majority of my friends have gotten the vaccine so far, I guess we don’t really talk about it because we’re just trying to be normal kids," Treitline said. "Mom and dad definitely encouraged it. We respect that there are people who don’t want to get it."

Dominik Burkhard is a 15-year-old who has not received any COVID-19 vaccination.

"I’d get vaccinated if it was like the other vaccines that have taken longer to process and develop and to make sure it’s safe for the community," Burkhard said. "A lot of my friends want to get the vaccine because they think it will help but they also don’t want to get long-term side effects from it. Most of my them are vaccinated but some of them are like me, that may partially get it if more was known about it."

The FDA is saying everyone 12 and older who’s eligible for a Pfizer booster can get one as early as five months after their last dose rather than six months. Pfizer is still studying its vaccine in even smaller doses for children younger than five.