Biden administration to boost vaccine efforts among student athletes, children 12 and up

The Biden administration announced that COVID-19 vaccination status for student athletes will be incorporated in sports physicals and that pediatricians will be sent to speak to parents at schools, in an effort to boost vaccination rates among children ages 12 and up.

The White House announced the new steps Thursday ahead of students returning to schools this fall amid concerns over rising COVID-19 cases.

“For young people, getting vaccinated right away is the best way back to the things they love — like playing sports, completing their studies, and spending time with friends and loved ones,” the White House said in a statement.

More than a dozen sports and medicine organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, plan to issue a joint statement urging all medical providers to ask about COVID-19 vaccine status during sports physicals, according to the White House. 

AAP will issue revised forms to doctors, parents and student athletes that includes language on the COVID-19 vaccination. The group estimates 60 to 70 percent of children and adolescents participate in organized sports every year.

No vaccines are available yet for children under the age of 12 and Pfizer is currently the only company that has an authorized vaccine for ages 12 to 15. AAP last month recommended that children over the age of 2 wear masks in the classroom.

The White House also announced that the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) will call on its 22,000 local organizations to host community conversations about getting vaccinated at back-to-school parent meetings over the summer and fall. PTA will partner with AAP to get local pediatricians to be part of the back-to-school meetings.

The administration is also releasing additional resources to help schools host pop-up vaccine clinics, following the president last week calling on school districts to host at least one pop-up vaccination clinic over the coming weeks.

From Aug. 7-15, the administration will hold a week of action to encourage vaccinations for students. Second gentleman Doug Emhoff and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona will travel to Topeka, Kan., to visit a back-to-school vaccine clinic.

Emhoff will also join National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci for a virtual discussion with youth leaders who expanded access to the vaccine for young people and the two will ask the young leaders about why they got involved in vaccine efforts.

Earlier this week, the Department of Education released their “Return to School Roadmap” that outlines community resources and support for getting students back to school, including getting people vaccinated, masking, and providing social, emotional and mental health support for students.