Covid-19 herd immunity is a difficult target, experts warn, but vaccinating this age group could be key to protecting us this fall

Vaccinations could soon open up for children 12 to 15 years old, a development that could be key to protecting the United States against Covid-19 as overall vaccination rates slow.

"High school kids, in particular, are known to be just about as susceptible and just about as good at passing along this virus as other young adults," Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said on ABC's Good Morning America Wednesday. "It will be really great to be able then to get that immunization schedule going well in advance of September." The FDA will likely authorize Pfizer/BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine for that age group by early next week, a federal official told CNN. When that happens, the US will be "ready to move immediately" to vaccinate adolescents, White House senior Covid-19 adviser Andy Slavitt said.