FDA Teen Booster
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster vaccine in adolescents ages 16 and 17.
The announcement comes almost exactly 1 year after the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine became the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive an emergency use authorization (EUA) in the United States.
The move clears the way for millions of teenagers to receive an additional shot, with Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, citing evidence that the effectiveness of two doses is diminishing in the age group.
Federal health officials say that because Omicron contains dozens of mutations never seen before, it is even more important that everyone eligible for a booster gets one. Regulators reviewed immune response data from adults that showed more robust antibody levels a month after booster doses were given.
“The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been available to individuals 16 years of age and older for nearly a year, and its benefits have been shown to clearly outweigh potential risks,” said Peter Marks.
CDC director, Rochelle Walensky, approved the FDA’s decision to recommend a booster dose to teens ages 16 to 17.
“Although we don’t have all the answers on the Omicron variant, initial data suggests that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen the protection against Omicron and other variants,” Rochelle Walensky said in a press statement.
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