Following the FDA recommendation: The CDC has approved booster vaccines for ages 12 to 15
The issue will be finally decided by the CDC’s director, Dr. Rochelle Wolensky, who is expected to approve Pfizer’s third vaccine for 12-15 year olds. Among other things, the committee’s experts examined data provided by Pfizer and the Ministry of Health in Jerusalem
Experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend approving Pfizer’s booster vaccines for young people aged 12-15, it was determined today (Wednesday) during a meeting of the CDC’s special committee.
Illustration (Photo: Reuters)
Recall, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended approving the booster vaccines for this age group last Monday, about a month after the third vaccine was approved for 16- and 17-year-olds.
The CDC committee discussed the FDA recommendation and accepted it after 13 of its members voted in favor of the move, compared to only one opponent. Now, the final decision goes to the CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Wolensky, who is expected to approve the booster for 12 to 15-year-olds as early as the next day.
If final approvals are received today, millions of children aged 12-15 could be vaccinated with the booster dose ahead of this coming weekend.
Illustration (Photo: Shutterstock)
The CDC even accepted the FDA’s recommendation that a booster can be vaccinated five months after receiving the second vaccine (and not half a year as has been the case so far). As we reported earlier this week, the decision to approve the booster shot was made based on data provided by Israel, which began vaccinating teens last year. Among other things, the decision to shorten the required period between the second and third vaccine (as mentioned, from six to five months) was made in light of the data received from Israel.
Experts in infectious diseases and public health agree that booster injections are needed now, with millions of students returning to schools after the Christmas break (two major U.S. education agencies, New York and Los Angeles, have pledged schools to remain open despite the surge in corona morbidity in recent weeks) .
Also, data released by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shows that across the U.S. there are about 3,800 children infected with corona and hospitalized – a 64% increase within a week and the highest figure since summer 2020.
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