CDC Meeting To Discuss Approval To Administer Pfizer’s Covid-19 Vaccine To Adolescents Ages 12 to 15

An advisory committee for the CDC is meeting today to discuss the safety of administering Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine to adolescents ages 12 to 15. The meeting is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and attendees will examine the immune response and effectiveness of the vaccine and vote on whether to recommend it to younger adolescents. They’ll also review updated safety data on adults who received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. One of the topics for consideration is that a two-week window of separation is recommended between the Covid shot and any other vaccine. Between the ages of 10 to 12, children often get vaccines to go back to school which would be an easy time to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

Chief strategy officer with the immunization action coalition L.J. Tan said “the vote is very important because it issues the recommendation for use that clinicians go to in order to start giving the vaccine. At that point, it becomes a recommended standard of care.” On Monday, the FDA signed off on the plan saying that the vaccine was safe in adolescents and protected them from getting the virus. If the CDC committee votes to recommend the vaccine, shots could be administered as soon as tomorrow.