FDA approves Pfizer booster shots for kids aged 12-15
Baku, January 6, AZERTAC
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the emergency use of Pfizer's booster shot against COVID-19 for youths aged 12 to 15, according to US News.
The move comes as the Omicron variant spreads across the country and students return to classrooms following the holiday break.
"Throughout the pandemic, as the virus that causes COVID-19 has continuously evolved, the need for the FDA to quickly adapt has meant using the best available science to make informed decisions with the health and safety of the American public in mind," Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in an agency news release announcing the approval.
"With the current wave of the Omicron variant, it’s critical that we continue to take effective, lifesaving preventative measures such as primary vaccination and boosters, mask wearing and social distancing in order to effectively fight COVID-19," Woodcock said.
The FDA also reduced the period that people must wait between their second dose and their booster shot to five months, down from the current six months. At the same time, regulators authorized the Pfizer booster shot for a select group of younger children, those ages 5 to 11 who have immune deficiencies and are therefore more vulnerable to severe COVID-19.
Pfizer boosters had been authorized for people ages 16 and up. The two other COVID vaccines, from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, are only authorized for adults 18 and up.
About 70% of Americans ages 12 and older are now fully vaccinated, according to the CDC, but about 1.8 million adolescents in the 12- to 15-year-old demographic have already tested positive for the virus.
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