MISSION — The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation have announced that they will offer the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to youth tribal members and patients eligible for care at Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center at a clinic scheduled for this weekend, according to a press release.

Health officials will offer the vaccine to youth between the ages of 12 and 18 at Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center on Saturday, May 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m, the press release said.

The newly scheduled clinic comes on the same day that the CTUIR announced in a press release that 14 people had tested positive for COVID-19 over the past two weeks, with 12 cases coming from children between the ages of 4 and 18.

“The virus is spreading among our youth and we need to respond immediately,” said Lisa Guzman, Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center chief executive officer. “We want our students to be able to go to graduation, prom and continue with sports. Now that 12 to 15 year olds are eligible we want to deliver the vaccine to them as soon as possible.”

The outbreak among children, according to a press release, stemmed from school classrooms and buses. Each of the children have reportedly experienced symptoms of COVID-19. One adult has been hospitalized during the case spike, the press release said.

With the new cases, there are 17 active cases on the reservation, marking the sharpest uptick since December, according to data on the CTUIR website.

The case spike came after six straight weeks where tribal officials hadn’t reported a single case on the reservation, the press release said. In response, tribal officials canceled a series of events last week, including a school prom and the Nixyaawii Celebration Committee’s Annual Root Feast Pow Wow.

Advisers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted on May 12 to recommend the Pfizer vaccine for use in children ages 12 to 15 after the Food and Drug Administration authorized its use for kids earlier this week. And on Wednesday, May 12, the Oregon Health Authority gave the green light for the vaccine’s use among children.

For students in quarantine due to recent exposures, Yellowhawk will offer a drive-through option during the May 15 clinic, the press release said.

People interested in getting vaccinated can call 541-240-8733 to make an appointment. After receiving a shot, Yellowhawk plans to schedule a second vaccination event on June 5 to provide second doses to the youth vaccinated at the clinic, the press release said.