CDC recommends third COVID-19 booster vaccine for 16 to 17 year old Americans

A lot has been spoken about the booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention had earlier approved the booster shots for people who were above 60 years of age and were immune-compromised. But now the agency has recommended the booster shot for Americans who are as young as 16 years old. The recent decision has been taken just hours after the Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer and BipNTech’s third dose for the age group. The boosters have been earlier approved for people above the age group of 18 years and above.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director at CDC in a statement said that they do not have any answered for the Omicron variant but some of the early data has suggested that the COVID-19 boosters can help to broaden and strengthen the protection against Omicron and other variants. Walensky added that the they are aware that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and strongly recommends the adolescents aged 16 and 17 to get their booster vaccines. The booster can be taken after six months post their initial Pfizer vaccine series.

Health authorities are now urging people to get their third shot that will help to booster their protection against the virus. Apart from the fear of the recently discovered Omicron, a number of hospitals are already facing a wave of the Delta variant. Dr. Peter marks, one of the top vaccine officials of the FDA said that ever since the authorization of the vaccine, the new evidence has indicated that the effectiveness of the vaccine is waning after the second dose for all the adults and also for those in the age group of 16 to 17.

Marks added that a single booster dose will help people who have been vaccinated 6 months earlier with continued protection. Nearly 2.6 million Americans aged 16 and 17 have been fully vaccinated six months back and will be immediately eligible for another dose.

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