The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Wednesday evening it is endorsing the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practicesآ’ (ACIP) recommendation to expand eligibility of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster doses to children 12 to 15 years old.
The CDC said in a statement it now recommends that “adolescents age 12 to 17 years old should receive a booster shot five months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination series.”
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement in this regard “it is critical that we protect our children and teens from COVID-19 infection and the complications of severe disease.” “We now recommend that all adolescents aged 12-17 years should receive a booster shot five months after their primary series,” she added.
She affirmed “this booster dose will provide optimized protection against COVID-19 and the Omicron variant,” encouraging parents “to keep their children up to date with CDCآ’s COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.” The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is the only vaccine currently authorized and recommended for adolescents aged 12-17.