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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Monday, Jan. 3 that it is expanding the eligibility for Pfizer and BioNTech booster shots to American between the ages of 12 and 15 years old as children return to school amid a surge of new COVID-19 infections.
FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said in a statement the agency made its decision because a booster “may help provide better protection against both the delta and omicron variants,” especially as omicron is “slightly more resistant” to the vaccine-induced antibodies that help fend off infection.
The FDA noted that children ages 5 to 11 with normal immune systems do not need a third vaccine dose right now, but it will review emerging data and update its authorization if third shots are needed broadly for that age group.
“The recent rise in COVID-19 cases is concerning to all and today’s decision by the FDA to further expand the Emergency Use Authorization of a booster dose of our vaccine is critical to help us ultimately defeat this pandemic,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement.
“We continue to believe that broad use of boosters is essential to preserving a high level of protection against this disease and reducing the rate of hospitalizations.”
Additionally, the FDA also shortened the time between primary vaccination and the booster dose to at least five months, down from six months, and authorized a third vaccine dose as part of the primary series of shots for children ages 5 through 11 who have compromised immune systems.
“The booster vaccination increases the level of immunity and improves protection against COVID-19 across all age groups that have been authorized to receive one,” CEO and BioNTech co-founder Ugur Sahin said.
“In the current situation, it is important to offer all eligible individuals a booster, particularly against the backdrop of the newly-emerging variants such as Omicron.”
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