U.S. FDA authorizes Pfizer/BioNTech booster for 16- and 17-year-olds

U.S. FDA authorizes Pfizer/BioNTech booster for 16- and 17-year-olds The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE those aged 16 and 17, as public health officials have urged Americans to get the additional shots on concerns about the new Omicron variant of the virus. Reuters Reuters

Dec 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and BioNTech SE those aged 16 and 17, as public health officials have urged Americans to get the additional shots on concerns about the new Omicron variant of the virus.

The emergency use authorization (EUA) will allow 16- and 17-year-olds to receive their third shot at least six months after their second vaccine dose.

Regulators from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) likely need to sign off on the shots before the teenagers can begin receiving the doses. Around 4.7 million 16- and 17-year-olds in the United States are fully vaccinated and more than 2.5 million of them are six months past their second dose. ...

The FDA's authorization comes a day after Pfizer and BioNTech released data suggesting that booster shots could be key to protection against infection from the newly identified Omicron variant of the coronavirus. read more  ...