US expands Pfizer COVID boosters, opens extra dose to age 16

By LAURAN NEERGAARD and MIKE STOBBE

U.S. wellness authorities said Thursday that 16- and 17-year-olds should get a booster dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine erstwhile they’re six months past their past shot.

The U.S. and galore different nations already were urging adults to get booster shots to pump up immunity that tin wane months aft vaccination, calls that intensified with the find of the worrisome caller omicron variant.

On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration gave exigency authorization for 16- and 17-year-olds to get a 3rd dose of the vaccine made by Pfizer and its spouse BioNTech. And hours later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted the past obstruction — saying those teens should get their booster arsenic soon arsenic it’s time.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told The Associated Press the boosters are important considering that extortion against corruption wanes implicit clip and “we’re facing a variant that has the imaginable to necessitate much immunity to beryllium protected.”

“Vaccination and getting a booster erstwhile eligible, on with different preventive measures similar masking and avoiding ample crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, stay our astir effectual methods for warring COVID-19,” Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting FDA commissioner, said successful a statement.

The Pfizer vaccine is the lone enactment successful the U.S. for anyone younger than 18, either for archetypal vaccination oregon for usage arsenic a booster. It’s not yet wide if oregon erstwhile teens younger than 16 mightiness request a 3rd Pfizer dose.

Vaccinations for children arsenic young arsenic 5 conscionable began past month, utilizing peculiar low-dose Pfizer shots. By this week, astir 5 cardinal 5- to 11-year-olds had gotten a archetypal dose.

The extra-contagious delta variant is causing astir each COVID-19 infections successful the U.S., and successful overmuch of the world. It’s not yet wide however vaccines volition clasp up against the caller and markedly antithetic omicron mutant. But there’s beardown grounds that boosters connection a leap successful extortion against delta-caused infections, presently the biggest threat.

Complicating the determination to widen boosters to 16- and 17-year-olds is that the Pfizer changeable — and a akin vaccine made by Moderna — person been linked to a uncommon broadside effect. Called myocarditis, it’s a benignant of bosom inflammation seen mostly successful younger men and teen boys.

The FDA said rising COVID-19 cases successful the U.S. mean the benefits of boosters greatly outweighed the imaginable hazard from the uncommon broadside effect, particularly arsenic the coronavirus itself tin origin much superior bosom inflammation.

Health officials successful Israel, which already gives boosters to teens, person said the broadside effect continues to beryllium uncommon with 3rd doses.

A U.S. survey this week offered further reassurance. Researchers from children’s hospitals astir the state checked aesculapian records and recovered the uncommon broadside effect usually is mild and radical retrieve quickly. The probe was published Monday successful the diary Circulation.

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Associated Press newsman Matthew Perrone contributed to this report.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives enactment from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely liable for each content.