An advisory panel to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday backed the emergency use approval of Pfizer’s booster shots for those between the ages of 12 and 17.
The Food and Drug Administration had announced the move on Monday.
In arriving at its decision, the CDC advisory panel pointed to rising COVID hospitalizations among the young as the Omicron variant races across the country.
If the panel’s 13-1 vote is endorsed by CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, as expected, adolescents ages 12 to 15 can get boosters immediately. Teens ages 16 and older were already eligible for booster shots, but the panel strengthened that recommendation.
