US Health Authorities Expand Booster Shots to 16-17-Year-Old Adolescents... "Necessary to Combat Omicron" (Comprehensive)

CDC Approval Announced Immediately After FDA Approval... 3 Million Eligible for Vaccination
BioNTech CEO "Booster Shots Should Be Provided to Everyone"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. health authorities announced that they will expand the eligibility for 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 the expansion of booster shot eligibility to adolescents aged 16 to 17. Immediately after the FDA's announcement, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also issued approval, allowing 16- to 17-year-olds in the U.S. who completed their vaccination at least six months ago to receive booster shots.

According to The New York Times (NYT), approximately 3 million adolescents aged 16 to 17 who are eligible for booster shots after six months post-vaccination are expected to receive their boosters within this month. Since the Pfizer vaccine is the only vaccine authorized for adolescents in the U.S., all of them will receive the Pfizer vaccine.

This booster shot expansion was urgently implemented amid concerns that the Omicron variant might weaken the immune protection of those who completed the Pfizer vaccine series. Pfizer stated in a press release the previous day, "Tests on blood samples from individuals who completed the two-dose vaccination series showed that the amount of antibodies formed against the Omicron variant is significantly lower compared to other variants," adding, "Receiving a booster shot will generate enough antibodies to neutralize Omicron."

Ugur Sahin, CEO of BioNTech, which co-developed the vaccine with Pfizer, explained in an interview with the NYT, "Given the current situation, especially with the emergence of variants like Omicron, it is important to provide booster shots to everyone," and added, "While it has been confirmed that younger adolescents produce more antibodies compared to adults after vaccination, it is not yet confirmed whether this applies to the Omicron variant."

Meanwhile, since expanding booster shot eligibility to all adults aged 18 and older starting from the 19th of last month, U.S. health authorities have been accelerating the pace of booster vaccinations. So far, about 50 million people, approximately 25% of the roughly 200 million fully vaccinated individuals in the U.S., have received booster shots.

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