CDC advisers recommend coronavirus vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds [View all]
Source: Washington Post
An advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Wednesday that the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine be used in children as young as 12, expanding access to adolescents in an important next phase to end the pandemic.
The vote was 14 in favor with one recusal. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is expected to sign off within hours, giving the green light for the two-dose vaccine to be used in 12- to 15-year-olds. The Food and Drug Administration cleared the vaccine for emergency use in that age group Monday, saying it was safe and effective at the same dose being given to those 16 and older.
The CDC action will mean the inoculation can be given at any site authorized to administer the shots. Pharmacies and large vaccination clinics that already have doses of the Pfizer vaccine are likely to be among the first places where adolescents can get the shots, according to federal and state health officials. The vaccine’s cold-storage requirements and large lot size — 1,170 doses is the minimum order — make it more challenging to be distributed to doctors’ offices right away, officials said.
Some states, including Arkansas, Delaware and Georgia, opened up eligibility on Tuesday, a day after the FDA authorized the vaccine for younger teens. But many other states and providers were waiting for the CDC recommendation; some insurance plans won’t reimburse providers for the administration fee without the CDC sign-off.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/05/12/pfizer-vaccine-adolescents-cdc-advisory-panel/
Have been watching the meeting since ~11:50 am EDT (it started around 11 am). Members are now providing remarks for why their votes.
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