Children of age 5+ years are given Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination. As the new variant of coronavirus named omicron has spread through the country, children of age 12 and above are to receive Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination boosters as decided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday.
Adolescents To Receive Boosters, Says CDC
Taking boosters even after receiving the first two doses of the vaccine depends on your immune system. The omicron variant is rapidly spreading and the immunity has to be strong enough to fight back.
There are three reasons why you might need boosters; First, if the previous two doses didn’t respond, it’s a clear sign that you are vulnerable and there’s a need to boost up your immune system. Second, if the immunity goes down over time. Third, if the performance of the vaccine is inadequate against any variant. CDC decided to give boosters to children aged between 12 and 17 is because of the type of variant.
Omicron being highly transmissible has put the whole world into a panic. Children being vulnerable and severely immunocompromised need special care with omicron. Therefore, as a front line of defense against omicron public health officials have decided to increase the doses of vaccines. Any American older than 12 can take this Pfizer-BioNTech booster.
The child has to have at least 5 months of gap between the second dose and the new booster. Children aged 12 to 15 will be made to take the booster immediately whereas, Children of age 16 and above were already permitted to receive the booster which CDC confirmed in the meeting that happened on Wednesday. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also put a firm recommendation on giving an additional primary dose to extremely vulnerable children aged between 5 to 11.
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination may have little concern because as a side effect it causes myocarditis (an inflammation of the heart muscle) in some children, but it has minimal side effects generally. That’s why providing children with boosters is not harmful but is beneficial in fighting omicron especially. In Israel two children were diagnosed with myocarditis they were hospitalized and fully recovered. Only two cases were found with myocarditis among 41,600 adolescents who received the booster.
The omicron is spreading rapidly, people who have been most careful for the last two years have infected the vaccine and the outcomes are rather bad. It’s a horrible state to be in. But the covid cases among children have reduced after vaccination though there have been two death cases still after vaccination. But the vaccination does not guarantee not catching the various it only boosts the immune system. Several committee members on Wednesday’s meeting showed differences in opinion. They were not satisfied with the endorsement of boosting in the vaccine doses whereas they said to stick to the prevention strategies. And some said it’s a burden on the people who are getting vaccinated and now getting the boosters.
There are three vaccines authorized for Americans aged 18 years and older namely Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen. Both the vaccines are preferable over Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen. Only Pfizer-BioNTech is authorized for children aged between 5 to 11. Boosters are not recommended for this age group.
