by Michael Erman
Jan. 6 (Reuters) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday announced that it has extended the COVID-19 booster dose to teens aged 12-15 with the vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.
The decision comes after a panel of experts advising the federal health authority earlier recommended that the booster be offered to young people in this age group, at least five months after the injection of the second dose.
The panel also said the CDC should strengthen its guideline for adolescents aged 16 and 17, to encourage them all to take the booster, for which they are already eligible.
In a statement, the CDC said it is recommending that teens ages 12 to 17 receive a booster five months after the initial regimen ends with the two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech.
Against the backdrop of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which is very much in the majority in the United States, the number of infections reported daily has climbed to record levels in recent days, favored by returns to school and to the office after the end of school holidays. ‘anne.
Authorities fear that health systems will be overloaded and that they will be forced to close shops and schools.
(Report Michael Erman; French version Jean Terzian)
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