U.S. CDC chief says hopes to decide on COVID boosters for 12-15 year-olds soon (updated)

Booster

29/12/2021 14:12

(Adds Walensky quote, background; updates story identifier for
some readers)
    WASHINGTON, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Approval of a third COVID-19
vaccine dose for U.S. children aged 12-15 could be days or weeks
away, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) told CNN in an interview on Wednesday. 
    Asked when children in that age group could receive a
booster shot, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said: "So the FDA
(Food and Drug Administration) is looking at that right now. Of
course, the CDC will swiftly follow as soon as we hear from
them, and I'm hoping to have that in the days to weeks ahead."
    It was not immediately clear, however, that Pfizer Inc
 PFE.N  and its partner, BioNTech SE  22UAy.DE  -- the only
manufacturer whose COVID-19 vaccine is approved for kids -- has
formally sought FDA approval for a booster in children ages
12-15.
    Representatives for Pfizer and the FDA did not immediately
respond to a request for comment.
    Third booster shots are approved for U.S. children ages 16
and 17 and all U.S. adults.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2SU1ML    
    Questions over boosters for some older children come as the
United States faces a new wave of infections from the Omicron
variant as cases reach a record high.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2TE0DC
    While U.S. officials have said vaccinations protect against
serious infection and death with Omicron, some children ages
12-15 are now more than six months out from their earlier
inoculations.  
    U.S. children ages 5-12 were recently cleared for the
vaccine so have just begun their inoculations in recent weeks. 
    No vaccine is approved for children under age 5, something
Walensky said she did not expect anytime soon.
    "The companies and manufacturers are working toward data for
children under 5. That will not be in the month ahead," she told
CNN. 
    Pfizer earlier this month said it was looking at a
three-dose regimen of its COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 2
to 16 while results showed three doses among people older than
16 offered greater protection.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2T22AH

 (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Additional reporting by Ankur
Banerjee; Editing by Mark Porter)
 ((sheavey@thomsonreuters.com; +1-202-898-8300;))