KENTUCKY — Gov. Andy Beshear announced Wednesday that state vaccination sites can administer the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to Kentuckians age 12 to 15 beginning May 13.

The announcement comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the vaccine for ages 12 to 15 earlier this week, followed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) recommendation on Wednesday.

“Starting [Thursday], more Kentuckians will have the opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and further protect themselves and those around them from this dangerous virus,” said Beshear. “We’ve seen new COVID-19 cases decline as more and more vaccines have been administered. Now, many Kentucky children and young teens have a chance to roll up their sleeves and become heroes for their communities by receiving their shot of hope.”

In a release, Beshear's office cited a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, which said roughly 231,000 Kentuckians are in the 12-15 age group, making up roughly 5% of the state's total population.

So far, the Pfizer vaccine is the only option available for those 12-17 years of age. Consent from a parent or legal guardian is required for the vaccine to be administered to those in that age group.

During Monday's COVID-19 briefing, Beshear and Commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health Dr. Steven Stack announced the state's transition to a federal website – vaccines.gov – that allows Kentuckians to search nearby vaccination sites and filter the search by vaccine brand: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and/or Janssen/Johnson & Johnson.

“COVID-19 vaccines are readily available and we are shifting to focus on delivering vaccines as close to individuals as possible to provide easy access for Kentuckians in their communities,” said Stack. “Over the next couple of weeks, we will have an added focus on broadening the distribution of Pfizer to vaccination sites such as primary care and pediatric offices.”