After the meeting held this Thursday by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC has expanded eligibility for booster doses of Pfizer - BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to all persons 5 years of age and older.
Thus, the CDC now recommends that children 5 to 11 years of age receive a booster shot 5 months after their initial two-dose vaccination series of the vaccine made by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.
Since the pandemic began, more than 4.8 million children aged 5 to 11 years have been diagnosed with COVID-19, 15,000 have been hospitalized and, tragically, more than 180 have died.
The action comes amid a record of increases in COVID-19 cases nationwide, so a booster dose will certainly help restore and enhance protection against serious disease, the agency said.
In addition, the CDC reinforced its recommendation that those over 12 years of age who are immunocompromised, as well as those over 50 years of age, should receive a second booster dose at least 4 months after the first.
"Over the past month, we have seen steady increases in cases, with a steep and substantial increase in hospitalizations of older Americans. While older Americans have the highest coverage of any age group for first booster doses, most older Americans received their last dose many months ago, leaving many who are vulnerable without the protection they may need to prevent serious illness, hospitalizations and deaths," said CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky.
The doctor pointed out that whether it's your first booster or second booster, "if you haven't received a dose of vaccine since early December 2021 and you are eligible, now is the time to get one."
"Today, I supported ACIP's vote to expand eligibility for booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Children ages 5 through 11 years should receive a booster dose at least 5 months after their primary series. Vaccination with a primary series among this age group has lagged behind other age groups, leaving them vulnerable to serious diseases," he added.
She further explained that with more than 18 million doses administered to persons 5 to 11 years of age, "these vaccines are known to be safe and we must continue to increase the number of children protected. I encourage parents to keep their children up to date with the CDC's COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.
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