The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine booster be given to inoculated children aged 12 to 15 as a further protection against the effects of the virus, Reuters reports.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 13 to 1 to approve the measure, which expands the availability of boosters to more of the population. While they will prevent someone from contracting COVID 19, the vaccines and boosters are effective in preventing an individual from getting a severe case and reduce the likelihood of hospitalizations and death. The recommendation comes after the CDC approved boosters for children ages 16 and 17.
“COVID is overwhelming our hospitals and our children’s hospitals,” said panel member Dr. Katherine Poehling, a professor at Wake Forest School of Medicine. “This is a tool we need to use, and help our children through this pandemic.”