One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
The FDA Has Authorized Pfizer-BioNTech Boosters For 16- And 17-Year-Olds
A syringe of BioNTech Pfizer is prepared last month at a vaccination center.
(
Jan Hetfleisch
/
Getty Images
)
The Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to cover the use of a single booster dose for people 16 and 17 years of age.
They would be eligible at least six months after completion of the initial two-shot vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
“Vaccination and getting a booster when eligible, along with other preventive measures like masking and avoiding large crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, remain our most effective methods for fighting COVID-19,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock in announcing the expansion. “As people gather indoors with family and friends for the holidays, we can’t let up on all the preventive public health measures that we have been taking during the pandemic. With both the delta and omicron variants continuing to spread, vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19.”
Pfizer asked the FDA to expand boosters for this age group at the end of November, saying it wanted to provide as much protection for as many people as possible especially given the emergence of the highly transmissible omicron variant.
In October, Pfizer and BioNTech announced the results of a randomized study of 10,000 people 16 years of age and older that the company says showed a booster dose "restored vaccine protection against COVID-19 to the high levels achieved after the second dose."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit npr.org.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
