A panel of outside experts advising the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday voted to recommend booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine be made available to 12- to 15-year-olds, Reuters reports.
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 13 to 1 to recommend that the US health agency support booster shots for those aged 12 to 15 at least five months after their second dose.
The panel also said the CDC should strengthen its recommendation for boosters ages 16 and 17.
The agency had previously made the shots available to those teenagers, but had stopped short of suggesting that all of them should receive the additional jab.
The FDA authorized the booster for 12- to 15-year-olds on Monday, but the CDC needs to sign off before the shots can be administered. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is expected to weigh in quickly, allowing the boosters to begin as soon as this week, according to Reuters.
President Joe Biden commented on the CDC panel’s recommendation and wrote, “Today, the CDC approved the Pfizer COVID-19 booster shot for kids ages 12-15. Boosters work — and offer the highest level of protection against Omicron. If your child is eligible, get them boosted today.”
Vice President Kamala Harris wrote, “Children ages 12 to 15 are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster shot. This is an enormous step forward in our fight to defeat this virus and protect our kids.”