What is Sarasota-Manatee doing to vaccinate teens before school starts in August?
Elizabeth Djinis  Now that school is out for summer in both Sarasota and Manatee counties, health departments are looking at convenient ways to reach eligible students who want to get vaccinated. More than 265,000 people in Sarasota County and more than 196,000 in Manatee County have been vaccinated, according to data the Florida Department of Health provided this week. That comes out to roughly 66% of Sarasotas eligible 12-and-older population and 55% of Manatee Countys. Sarasota health officer Chuck Henry has said that the percentage of total people vaccinated in Sarasota tends to get lower and lower as the age groups get younger. People under the age of 18 have fewer choices than the general population to get vaccinated. Currently, only Pfizer-BioNTech is approved for those between the ages of 12 and 17. Parents or guardians must accompany their child in order to sign a consent form on-site when they get vaccinated. More:Sarasota-Manatee businesses eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination tax credit  More:Upcoming COVID-19 vaccine popup clinics in Sarasota-Manatee  Support Local Journalism:Get an unlimited digital subscription to the Herald-Tribune. The Sarasota health department has been making strides in this arena by hosting clinics with Pfizer doses. On Saturday, a second dose clinic took place at North Port High School; first doses were available on request. The hope is to continue more vaccine clinics at school sites throughout the summer. Eight clinics are slated for middle and high school sites throughout the county before the Aug. 10 start of school, Henry said. The Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County has partnered with Sarasota County Schools throughout this pandemic to help protect our school community, Henry said in a statement. We are now partnering to make COVID-19 vaccinations accessible for everyone 12 years and older. The goal is to provide the Pfizer vaccine, which has been authorized by the USFDA, for students ages 12 to 17 years old, in locations easily available to students and parents.  Details on the clinics are still being worked out with both organizations, according to Sarasota County Schools spokesperson Kelsey Whealy. In Manatee County, vaccine clinics at schools are certainly on the table, according to spokesperson Mike Barber, but not definitively planned. Some schools have health clinics, which could be a potential site to administer vaccines. That would happen closer to the start of the school year and would be offered through MCR Health, which partners with the school district to offer medical services to students. Back-to-school campaigns to get students up-to-date on their regular vaccinations may be a way to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations, said Manatee health officer Dr. Jennifer Bencie. Now you can give the COVID vaccination in addition to the other ones, she said. Were linking it all together.  This story comes from Aspirations Journalism, an initiative of The Patterson Foundation and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune to inform, inspire and engage the community to take action on issues related to COVID-19 Response.