The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine advisory committee voted 13-1 on Wednesday to endorse booster doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for 12- to 17-year olds.
Why it matters: CDC director Rochelle Walensky is expected to sign off on the recommendation, which will expand the number of children eligible for boosters as a surge of COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant spreads nationwide.
- The surge coincides with students' return to school following the holiday break.
The big picture: The move comes days after the Food and Drug Administration expanded its authorization of Pfizer boosters to allow 12- to 15-year-olds to receive the third shots.
- The CDC on Tuesday also updated its COVID-19 vaccine guidance, recommending that individuals who received the Pfizer shot get a booster five months after getting their second shot instead of six.
- The CDC also encouraged children who are immunocompromised between the ages of 5 and 11 to receive a third COVID-19 shot 28 days after their second shot.
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