-
CDC
According to vaccine experts advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children 12 to 15 should receive a COVID-19 booster shot. A full CDC endorsement is still pending approval from the organization’s director.
Advisers voted 13 to 1 in favor of children in that age cohort getting the extra dose at least five months after finishing a first round of vaccination.
The experts’ endorsement is one of the final steps before doctor offices, schools and other vaccination sites make booster shots from Pfizer and partner BioNTech available to 12- to 15-year-olds. The CDC must make a decision next.
Current CDC guidance on who should receive a booster include anyone over 16 who received their last COVID vaccine dose five months prior.
“Although COVID-19 vaccines remain effective in preventing severe disease, recent data suggest their effectiveness at preventing infection or severe illness wanes over time, especially in people ages 65 years and older,” wrote CDC officials. “The recent emergence of the Omicron variant further emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters, and prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19.
“Data from clinical trials showed that a booster shot increased the immune response in trial participants who finished a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna primary series six months earlier or who received a J&J/Janssen single-dose vaccine two months earlier. With an increased immune response, people should have improved protection against getting infected with COVID-19. For Pfizer-BioNTech and J&J/Janssen, clinical trials also showed that a booster shot helped prevent severe disease.”