CDC Recommends Pfizer COVID Vaccine Boosters for Children as Young as 12
Syringes carrying doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine wait to be administered in a vaccination clinic set up at St Columba's Church in Sheffield on December 15, 2021 as the UK steps up the country's booster drive to fight a "tidal wave" of Omicron. OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images

An independent advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday recommended a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster dose among youth aged 12-15.

The recommendation of the CDC panel for the said age group came after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Pfizer's booster shot for children ages 12 to 15 on Monday, USA Today reported.

The FDA based their decision on data from Israel that found "no new safety concerns" after 6,300 kids ages 12 to 15 got booster shots five months after their second dose.

The CDC advisory panel, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, voted 13-1 in favor of recommending that people ages 12 to 15 get a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine after at least five months, CNBC reported.

CDC official Dr. Sara Oliver said the effectiveness of boosters in 12- to 15-year-old kids is unknown. However, she stressed that a third shot is "likely to increase protection" against COVID-19.

The CDC has endorsed the advisory panel's recommendation that children as young as 12 should receive a COVID-19 booster as soon as they are eligible.

In a statement Wednesday night, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said it is critical to protect children and teens from COVID-19 infection and "the complications of severe disease."

She added that the booster dose would provide optimized protection against COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.

"I encourage all parents to keep their children up to date with CDC's COVID-19 vaccine recommendations," Walensky said.

Booster shots are already recommended for all 16 years old and older. However, the CDC on Wednesday not only endorsed an extra Pfizer shot for those 12 to 15, but it also strengthened its recommendation that 16- and 17-year-olds get a third shot too to help fight back the highly contagious Omicron variant.

CDC Shortens Interval of Getting Pfizer Booster Shots

The recommendation from the CDC panel also came after the agency announced new guidance about a shortened interval on when Americans can get their Pfizer booster shots.

From advising that Pfizer booster shots shall be administered at least after six months, CDC said Tuesday that Americans who received two doses of Pfizer COVID vaccine can now get their booster shots at least after five months.

Despite announcing the changes of Pfizer booster shot's waiting time, the agency underscored that the interval for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots remains the same, six months and two months, respectively.

"Following the FDA's authorizations, top day's recommendations ensure people are able to get a boost of protection in the face of Omicron and increasing cases across the country and ensure the vulnerable children can get an additional dose to optimize protection against COVID-19," Walensky noted.

The CDC director also pointed out that their agency would "continue" to update their recommendations to make sure that all Americans get the best "possible protection."

CDC Director Says New Daily COVID-19 Infections Reach 491,000

On Wednesday, Rochelle Walensky underscored that the U.S.' new daily infections over the last seven days averaged around 491,000.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recorded a seven-day average of 3,800 kids hospitalized due to COVID-19. The said record went up to 64 percent over the past week, and the highest level since HHS started tracking the data.

Despite the numbers of hospitalized children, Oliver noted that hospitalization among 12-15-year-old youths, which is the center of the recent booster recommendation from the CDC panel, has remained relatively stable.

To date, more than 205.8 million Americans or 64 percent of the population are fully vaccinated. Of that number, about 13.5 million 12- to 17-year-old kids have received two Pfizer vaccines against COVID-19.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: CDC Advisors Recommend Booster Shots For 12-15-Year-Olds - From CBS New York