Millions of Americans age 12 and under could soon receive a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Monday that it has authorized third doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for that. age group.
The FDA also said it would allow children up to age 5 with compromised immune systems to receive an additional injection, CBSNews reported .
And the agency shortened the time between the second dose of Pfizer’s vaccine and the possibility of receiving a booster to five months instead of six months for all age groups.
“Based on the FDA’s evaluation of currently available data, a booster dose of currently licensed vaccines can help provide better protection,” especially against the Omicron variant, said Dr. Peter Marks, chief vaccine officer for the the FDA.
“With this in mind, the FDA has expanded the range of individuals eligible to receive a booster, shortened the time between completion of Pfizer’s primary series for individuals to receive a booster, and is authorizing a third dose of protective vaccine for some of our youngest and most vulnerable individuals ”.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must also adopt formal recommendations before third vaccines can be given to younger recipients. That decision could come later this week, following a meeting of the agency’s outside vaccine experts.
The FDA said it based its decision on promising data from Israel, which in August rolled out booster shots for residents as young as 12, for those who had received their second dose at least five months earlier.
The FDA also cited data from Pfizer, which had said earlier this month that it was evaluating a possible three-dose series for children up to 6 months of age.
