The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention promptly embraced the suggestion of providing a booster dose of Pfizer′s COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 5 to 11, hoping that an extra shot will provide further protection for children of this age group as infections once again rise.

Pfizer′s kid-sized booster was approved by the Food and Drug Administration earlier this week and will be given with a gap of a minimum of five months after the kids′ previous dose. For the first time since February, the United States is averaging 100,000 new cases every day. 

The CDC′s advisors cited evidence from older children and adults that an additional booster dose after two primary doses gave maximum protection against the most recent coronavirus strains. Experts believe that health officials should make a larger effort to get youngsters their initial doses, as the vaccination was the best tool to protect against COVID-19′s severe effects in all ages, particularly after the third dose.

A short trial conducted by Pfizer showed that a booster increased the levels of virus-fighting antibodies among kids, similar to the adults and was capable of combating the super-contagious Omicron variant. Milder illnesses may not always be prevented by vaccines, and the omicron variety proved particularly adept in eluding their defences. Parents, on the other hand, are still waiting for a chance to vaccinate their children under the age of five, who are the only group not yet eligible in the United States.

Also, CDC on Thursday strongly recommended all including those 50 and above who were immunocompromised and who are supposed to get three initial shots, would be eligible for a fourth dose and should go ahead and get the extra dose. (ETHealthworld, May 20, 2022)