CDC Signs Off on COVID Vaccine Boosters , for Kids Ages 5–11.
CNN reports that on May 19, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)... .
... voted in support of recommending an additional Pfizer shot for 5- to 11-year-olds who've received their first two doses.
The vote was 11-1 with 1 abstention.
CNN reports that the FDA authorized the booster dose earlier this week.
Children within this age group are advised to wait at least five months after receiving their two-dose regimen before getting a booster shot.
CNN reports a fourth dose is recommended for children who are immunocompromised.
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According to Pfizer, a trial of 4,500 children ages 5-11 showed Omicron-fighting antibodies were 36 times stronger upon receiving a booster.
The company also says no new safety issues were detected.
On May 16, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported that COVID cases in U.S. children rose 76% the previous week compared to two weeks prior.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky gave opening remarks before the ACIP's vote.
The sadness I feel for lives lost, the families devastated and the communities changed is steep.
We have the tools we need to protect these people from severe disease and prevent any more tragic deaths, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, via opening remarks before the ACIP's vote, via CNN
