US Health Authorities Expand Pfizer Booster Shots to Adolescents Aged 16-17

CDC Also Immediately Approves Following FDA Approval
"Immune Effect Drops by Half 8 Months After Vaccination Completion"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The U.S. health authorities announced that they will expand the eligibility for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, previously approved only for adults aged 18 and older, to include adolescents aged 16 and older. This move is interpreted as an effort to accelerate booster shot administration to curb the Omicron variant, following confirmation that immunity significantly wanes eight months after completing the initial vaccination series.

According to CNBC on the 9th (local time), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved expanding the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster shot eligibility from adults aged 18 and older to adolescents aged 16 to 17. Immediately after the FDA's announcement, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also approved the measure, completing the approval process. Consequently, adolescents aged 16 to 17 in the U.S. who completed their vaccination more than six months ago can now receive the booster shot.

According to The New York Times (NYT), approximately 3 million adolescents aged 16 to 17 are eligible for the booster shot, and they are expected to receive it within this month. Since the Pfizer vaccine is the only vaccine approved for use in adolescents aged 16 to 17 in the U.S., all of them will receive the Pfizer vaccine.

This booster shot expansion was urgently implemented following initial experimental research results from South African medical staff suggesting that the Omicron variant may weaken the immune response in those who completed the Pfizer vaccination. Pfizer also announced that tests on blood samples from individuals who completed the two-dose vaccination series showed significantly lower levels of antibodies fighting the Omicron variant compared to the original virus.

Pfizer has requested the U.S. health authorities to promptly grant emergency use authorization for the booster shot, stating that receiving the booster generates antibody levels capable of neutralizing Omicron. Ugur Sahin, CEO of BioNTech, who co-developed the vaccine with Pfizer, emphasized in an interview with the NYT, "Given the current situation, especially considering the emergence of variants like Omicron, it is important to provide booster shots to everyone."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.