The CDC’s director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, will weigh the panel’s advice before making a final decision soon.
Vaccines still offer strong protection against serious illness from any type of COVID-19, including the highly contagious omicron variant, especially after a booster. But omicron can slip past a layer of the vaccines’ protection to cause breakthrough infections.
Fending off even a mild infection is harder for vaccines to do than protecting against serious illness so giving teens a booster for that temporary jump in protection is like playing whack-a-mole, cautioned Dr. Sarah Long of Drexel University. But she said the extra shot was worth it given how hugely contagious the omicron mutant is, and how many kids are catching it.
If the CDC agrees, about 5 million of the younger teens, those 12 to 15, would be eligible for a booster right away because they got their last shot at least five months ago. Children tend to suffer less serious illness from COVID-19 than adults. But child hospitalizations are rising during the omicron wave -- the vast majority of them unvaccinated.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
FDA authorizes Pfizer COVID-19 boosters for 12- to 15-year oldsThe FDA on Monday authorized Pfizer COVID-19 boosters for 12- to 15-year olds amid the omicron surge as children head back to school.
Read more »
Live Updates of CDC Meeting on Pfizer's Covid Booster Shots for AdolescentsThe CDC’s ACIP panel meets Wednesday for a four-hour meeting to review Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 booster shots for kids ages 12 to 15.
Read more »
FDA Approves Pfizer COVID-19 Boosters For 12- to 15-Year-OldsThe FDA has approved COVID-19 booster for 12- to 15-year-olds as teens return to school amid the omicron surge.
Read more »
CDC panel recommends Pfizer COVID vaccine boosters for adolescentsA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel on Wednesday voted to recommend Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shot for kids ages 12 to 15, a
Read more »