Dec. 9, 2021 -- The FDA has authorized booster doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, clearing the mode for millions of teenagers to get a 3rd dose of vaccine starting 6 months aft their 2nd dose. The CDC rapidly followed suit, allowing the boosters to statesman immediately.
The FDA said it was basing its exigency usage authorization of boosters for 16- and 17-year-olds connected information from 200 radical who were ages 18 to 55 erstwhile they received a booster dose. It is requiring Pfizer to cod information connected information successful post-authorization studies.
“The FDA has determined that the benefits of a azygous booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine oregon Comirnaty outweigh the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis successful individuals 16 and 17 years of property to supply continued extortion against COVID-19 and the associated superior consequences that tin hap including hospitalization and death,” the bureau said successful a quality release.
Israel has been giving booster doses of Pfizer’s vaccine to everyone 12 and up since precocious August. Data from that state shows that myocarditis cases proceed to beryllium precise rare, adjacent successful younger property groups, and are mild and temporary.
The authorization comes arsenic the effectiveness of the existent vaccines against the caller Omicron variant has go a constituent of aggravated technological inquiry.
Early studies suggest that booster doses whitethorn beryllium indispensable to support Omicron astatine bay, astatine slightest until caller variant-specific vaccines are acceptable adjacent spring.
Current grounds suggests that the extortion of the vaccines is holding up good against terrible illness and death, astatine slightest with Delta and aboriginal versions of the virus.
How good they volition bash against Omicron, and however terrible Omicron infections whitethorn beryllium for antithetic property groups, stay unfastened questions.
On Wednesday, the World Health Organization urged countries not to hold for each the subject to travel in, but to enactment present to incorporate immoderate imaginable threat.
The archetypal pieces of grounds connected Omicron suggest that it is highly contagious, possibly adjacent much than Delta, though aboriginal reports suggest symptoms caused by this mentation of the caller coronavirus whitethorn beryllium little terrible than successful erstwhile waves. Experts person cautioned that it isn't yet known however terrible Omicron infections tin be, since the archetypal cases person been detected successful younger people, who thin to person milder COVID-19 symptoms than adults and seniors.
"Vaccination and getting a booster erstwhile eligible, on with different preventive measures similar masking and avoiding ample crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, stay our astir effectual methods for warring COVID-19," acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, MD, said successful a quality release. "As radical stitchery indoors with household and friends for the holidays, we can't fto up connected each the preventive nationalist wellness measures that we person been taking during the pandemic. With some the delta and omicron variants continuing to spread, vaccination remains the champion extortion against COVID-19."
In mid-November, the FDA authorized boosters of the Pfizer vaccine for each radical 18 and older, but the bureau held disconnected connected expanding the usage of boosters for younger property groups, partially due to the fact that they person the highest hazard of a precise uncommon broadside effect called myocarditis -- swelling of the bosom muscle or the sac around the heart.
Myocarditis cases look to beryllium temporary, with patients making a afloat recovery, though they request to beryllium monitored successful the hospital. The hazard of myocarditis with a COVID-19 corruption is galore times higher than it is from a vaccine.
There has besides been small information to enactment the request for boosters successful this property group, due to the fact that children and teens thin to person milder COVID-19 disease, though they are inactive astatine hazard for post-COVID complications similar long COVID and a delayed absorption to the microorganism called post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 corruption among children, oregon PAS-C.
All that changed with the accomplishment of Omicron.
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