The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday expanded authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid booster to include 16- and 17-year-olds, amid growing concern over the Omicron variant's ability to overcome immunity conferred by two shots.
The FDA's decision comes a day after the companies released the results of lab tests that showed three doses appeared effective against Omicron, while two doses were probably not enough to stop infection -- though they may still prevent severe disease.
"Initial data suggests that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen the protection against Omicron and other variants," added Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , which ratified the move.
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