(Eagle News) – The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pushed for the administration of booster shots to minors or children aged 12 to 17 years old five months after the administration of the Pfizer primary vaccination series.
This was in view of the rising COVID-19 cases in the US due to the highly infectious Omicron variant.
US CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, said giving a booster dose to children aged 12 to 17 would “provide optimized protection against COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.”
The US CDC said it was “endorsing the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation to expand eligibility of booster doses to those 12 to 15 years old” in a statement released on Wednesday, January 5, 2022.
“CDC now recommends that adolescents age 12 to 17 years old should receive a booster shot 5 months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination series,” it said.
“Data show that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen protection against Omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants,” it said.
-COVID-19 vaccines also safe and effective in adolescents-
The US CDC said that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) had “reviewed the available safety data following the administration of over 25 million vaccine doses in adolescents.” It reiterated that “COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.”
So far, only the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is authorized and recommended for adolescents aged 12-17 in the US.
“It is critical that we protect our children and teens from COVID-19 infection and the complications of severe disease. Today, I endorsed ACIP’s vote to expand eligibility and strengthen our recommendations for booster doses,” US CDC Director Dr. Walensky said.
“We now recommend that all adolescents aged 12-17 years should receive a booster shot 5 months after their primary series. This booster dose will provide optimized protection against COVID-19 and the Omicron variant,” she said.
The US CDC director further encouraged “all parents to keep their children up to date with CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.”
(Eagle News Service)