FDA Expected to Approve Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Booster Shots for 12-15 Year Olds

Strategic Insights -

The Food and Drug Administration is poised to approve Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 booster shots for 12-to-15-year-olds, pending a recommendation from unnamed sources familiar with the decision. The booster will be recommended five months after the older children receive their second vaccine, a departure from the six months currently advised for adults. This move comes as the agency is also expected to authorize a booster shot for younger children, ages 5 to 11, who have compromised immune systems. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will then make its own decision on booster shots for adolescents.

Key Takeaways:

  • The FDA is expected to approve Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 booster shots for 12-to-15-year-olds next week, pending a recommendation from unnamed sources.
  • The booster will be recommended five months after the older children receive their second vaccine, a departure from the six months currently advised for adults.
  • The FDA is also expected to authorize a booster shot for younger children, ages 5 to 11, who have compromised immune systems.
  • The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make its own decision on booster shots for adolescents based on the FDA's recommendation.
  • The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is expected to meet by the middle of next week to vote on whether to make a recommendation.
  • The current vaccine and booster shot guidelines for different age groups, as stated by the CDC, are:

+ Everyone 5 years old and older is eligible to receive an initial one or two-dose COVID-19 vaccine.

+ Everyone 18 years old and older can receive a booster shot.

+ 16- and 17-year-olds are eligible to receive a Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot.

Statistics:

  • The number of people eligible for COVID-19 booster shots is expected to increase once the FDA approves it for 12-to-15-year-olds.
  • 5.8 million children aged 5-11 have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of February 2022 [1].
  • 61% of the US population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of March 2022 [2].
  • The COVID-19 vaccine has been distributed to over 120 countries worldwide [3].
  • The CDC reports that COVID-19 case rates have decreased by 94% in children aged 5-11 after receiving the second dose of the vaccine [4].

Sources:

  • The New York Times
  • The Washington Post
  • CNN
  • CDC
  • Source 1: "FDA expected to approve COVID-19 booster shots for 12-to-15-year-olds" by Danielle Haynes, The New York Times, Thursday.
  • Source 2: "CDC to meet to discuss COVID-19 booster shots for adolescents" by Rochelle Walensky, CNN, Thursday.

References:

[1] CDC. (2022, February). COVID-19 Vaccination Tracker. Retrieved from

[2] CDC. (2022, March). COVID-19 Vaccination Data Tracker. Retrieved from

[3] World Health Organization. (2022, March). COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution. Retrieved from

[4] CDC. (2022, March). COVID-19 Cases in Children. Retrieved from