by Michael Erman
(Reuters) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday it has extended the COVID-19 booster dose to adolescents aged 12 to 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 vaccine 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 all of them to take the booster, for which they are already eligible.
In a statement, the CDC said it is recommending that teens between the ages of 12 and 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 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 Christmas holidays. end of year.
The authorities fear that the health systems are overloaded and that they are also forced to close businesses and schools.
(Report Michael Erman; French version Jean Terzian)
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