CDC advisory panel in favor of Pfizer vaccine booster for ages 12 to 15

An advisory panel of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday voted to recommend booster shots of Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine be made available to 12- to 15-year-olds, as reported by Investing.com.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 13 to 1 to recommend that the agency support booster shots for those aged 12 to 15 at least five months after their second dose.

It also said the CDC should strengthen its recommendation for boosters for people ages 16 and 17. The agency had previously made the shots available to those teenagers, but had stopped short of suggesting that all of them should receive the additional jab.

The FDA authorized the additional doses of Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID-19 booster for 12- to 15-year-olds on Monday, but the CDC needs to sign off before the shots can be administered.

CDC director Rochelle Walensky is expected to weigh in quickly, allowing the boosters to begin as soon as this week, according to the news source.