Can 12- to 15-year-olds in Washington now get the COVID-19 vaccine?

Parents in Washington have been eagerly awaiting the day when their children can get vaccinated.

The Food and Drug Administration earlier this week authorized the use of Pfizer vaccine for children as young as 12 years old. On Wednesday, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee also recommended the vaccine for that population.

The authorizations means a whole new group of people across the state will be eligible for the vaccine, further slowing the spread of the virus and helping the state reach a higher threshold of immunity.

The Western States Pact, a panel of experts who review the vaccines for safety and efficacy, has not yet issued its report.

But, sites across Seattle and King County allowed people to make appointments for their children 12 to 15 years old Wednesday and there were multiple reports of children younger than 16 signing up for or getting their first shot. There are about 378,000 kids across Washington that fit into that category, state officials said Wednesday morning.

"At the City of Seattle sites, children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian when they receive their vaccine," the city said on its website. "The Pfizer vaccine is currently available at these sites: Lumen Field Event Center, Rainier Beach Vaccination, and West Seattle."

The city also updated its online system to indicate it is vaccinating people 12 and older. 

Jeff Duchin of Public Health -- Seattle & King County said during a news briefing Wednesday providers are allowed to use the vaccine after it is FDA authorized, according to the federal requirements.

"We suggested to our providers to wait for the CDC guidance," Duchin said. "It is permissible to use the vaccine once authorized by the FDA...It is perfectly fine to be administering it."

As of now, the Pfizer vaccine is the only one authorized for children of any age younger than 18. 

The announcement comes as officials in recent weeks had expressed concerns about a softening demand for the vaccine as still a majority of people in the state are not yet fully protected.

According to the most recent data, about 57% of people 16 and older in Washington have received at least one dose of the vaccine and about 43% are fully vaccinated. Of the total population, about 34% have been fully vaccinated.

That means still more than 65% of people in the state are still vulnerable to the virus.

Officials, community organizations and healthcare providers have been working to take steps to make it more convenient for people to get their vaccines, including allowing people to walk up to vaccine sites with no appointments and using popup and mobile vaccine clinics. Safeway and Albertsons pharmacies, along with CVS stores, also said people don't need to make appointments in advance to come in for vaccines.

Children 12 to 15 though can only get the Pfizer vaccine, so whatever clinic or site they go to must have that one available. The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses 21 days apart.

People are being urged to get vaccinated as soon as they can, as vaccines are a key tool to slowing the spread of the virus and protecting the community. Until more people are vaccinated, officials are warning people need to continue to follow safety protocols including wearing masks, social distancing and avoiding large gatherings.

In recent days, case rates have been flattening across the state after rising for several weeks -- but officials are not yet sure whether that marks the peak of the fourth wave or if cases could start rising again.