CDC Committee Recommends Pfizer-BioNTech Boosters for 12-15 Year Olds

This afternoon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) ACIP committee voted 13 to 1 to recommend a single Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster dose for persons aged 12-15 years at least 5 months after the primary series under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Emergency Use Authorization.

This vote comes just a couple of days after the FDA expanded its booster dose recommendations. Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the booster dose recommendations, saying children as young as 12 years old could receive a third additional dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

In addition, the FDA decreased the interim period in the second and third doses for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine administration, from 6 months to 5.

Yesterday, the CDC released a statement recommending that moderately or severely immunocompromised 5–11-year-olds receive an additional primary dose of vaccine 28 days after their second shot. At this time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is authorized and recommended for children aged 5-11.