(CNN) The US Food and Drug Administration on Monday expanded the emergency use authorization for Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine boosters to children ages 12 to 15. The agency also shortened the time needed before receiving a booster shot from at least six months after completion of the initial series to at least five months, for everyone 12 and older. "With the current wave of the omicron variant, it's critical that we continue to take effective, life-saving preventative measures such as primary vaccination and boosters, mask wearing and social distancing in order to effectively fight Covid-19." The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday backed the FDA's decision to shorten the interval between an initial series of Pfizer's vaccine and a booster shot, but plans to meet with their vaccine advisory board on Wednesday to discuss the issue of expanding booster eligibility to adolescents. The FDA updated the emergency use authorization after review of real-world data from Israel that showed there were "no new safety concerns" in expanding boosters to adolescents or shortening the timeframe between the initial series and a booster dose.

Source: CNN January 04, 2022 23:28 UTC