Damian Sendler: On Wednesday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its recommendations for the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccination booster to cover children as young as 12 months after completing the initial immunization series. 

Damian Jacob Sendler: The FDA extended the emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccination boosters to youngsters aged 12 to 15 on Monday. Earlier Wednesday, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 13-1 in favor of expanding the use of Covid-19 boosters for children in this age range. 

In December, the CDC approved the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for use as a booster in children aged 16 and 17. 

Damian Sendler

“It is critical that we protect our children and teens from COVID-19 infection and the complications of severe disease,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky stated in a news release. “Today, I supported ACIP’s vote to expand eligibility and strengthen our booster dose recommendations.” We now suggest that all adolescents aged 12 to 17 years receive a booster dose 5 months after completing their initial series. This booster dose will provide the best possible protection against COVID-19 and its variant, Omicron. I strongly advise all parents to keep their children up to speed on the CDC’s COVID-19 immunization guidelines.” 

The ACIP proposal came after members heard studies on rare incidences of myocarditis and pericarditis in young kids who had Covid-19 vaccinations, as well as the fact that many parents are concerned about vaccine long-term negative effects. They also reviewed how vaccine uptake among 12- to 17-year-olds has recently declined, as well as the record number of Covid-19 cases in children in the midst of a rise of the highly transmissible Omicron strain of the coronavirus. 

The CDC approved cutting the booster interval for those who received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine from six months to five months on Tuesday. It also suggests that moderately or severely immunocompromised 5- to 11-year-olds receive an additional main dosage 28 days after their second shot; only the Pfizer/BioNTech shot is approved for that age group. 

The booster dosage from Pfizer has the same amount of vaccination as the original doses: 30 micrograms. 

Damian Jacob Sendler

In mid-May, adolescents aged 12 to 15 became eligible to get their first series of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, allowing an additional 17 million people to be vaccinated. 

According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over half of the 12 to 15 population (approximately 8.7 million) is now fully vaccinated. Approximately 5 million of them have been fully immunized for more than five months and are now eligible for a booster dose. 

Children in this age range account for around 5% of the overall US population. According to the most recent CDC data, they account for approximately 4% of the fully vaccinated population in the United States and approximately 3% of those eligible for a booster injection. 

Damian Jacob Markiewicz Sendler: The CDC recommended in October that people who had completed their original series of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccination at least six months ago, as well as those who had had their initial Johnson & Johnson shot at least two months ago, obtain a booster injection. 

Damien Sendler: In total, approximately 71.6 million persons in the United States have been fully vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19. This is fewer than half of the almost 180 million people who are eligible for a booster shot, and around one-fifth of the total US population. According to the most recent CDC data, at least 67.5 million persons aged 5 and higher have not received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccination.

Dr. Damian Jacob Sendler and his media team provided the content for this article.