BATON ROUGE, La (BRPROUD) – Younger teens are rolling up their sleeves for their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

“It’s not scary. It does not hurt and it’s such a relief and I think we’ll get to have normal school and get to see people’s smiles on their faces,” said 14-year-old Ava Kreutziger.

They are now some of the first in their age group to get the shot in Louisiana. This comes one day after a CDC advisory group recommended giving the Pfizer vaccine to kids between the ages of 12 and 15.

We will be able to go back to more of a normal operation because the more individuals who are vaccinated, the safer our classrooms are,” said Stacey Dupre, Chief Officer for Support and Special Projects with East Baton Rouge Parish Schools.

Dupre said the district has been holding vaccine clinics at select high schools because students 16 and older were eligible. Now that is expanding to those younger students who are now eligible and have a parent or guardian’s consent. The shot is not mandatory for East Baton Rouge Parish School students, but parents are encouraged to look at their options.

“And if they feel comfortable with it, please get their child vaccinated. Please know that it is voluntary, but we definitely think it will make a difference,” said Dupre.

Making a difference to help students get back to normal.

“Definitely do your research and just think about the people in your community who could be vulnerable to COVID and just take that into consideration,” said 15-year-old Croix Hill.

You can find a list of COVID-19 vaccine sites here.