CDC is supporting the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendation to expand the eligibility of adolescents ages 12 to 15 for booster doses. The CDC now recommends that teens ages 12 to 17 receive a booster dose 5 months after the initial series of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
The data show that booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine help expand and strengthen protection against the omicron variant and other variants of SARS-CoV-2. The ACIP reviewed the available data on the safety of the vaccine after administration of more than 25 million doses in adolescents; COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
For now, only the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is licensed and recommended for teens ages 12-17.
The following is attributed to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky:
“It is essential that we protect our children and adolescents against infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 and the complications of serious illness. Today, I supported the ACIP vote to expand eligibility and strengthen our recommendations on vaccine booster doses. We now recommend that all adolescents ages 12 to 17 receive a booster dose 5 months after the primary series. This booster dose will provide optimized protection against COVID-19 and the omicron variant. I encourage all parents to keep their children up-to-date based on the CDC’s recommendations on the COVID-19 vaccine. ”
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