The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine boosters to children aged 12 to 15.
On Monday, the FDA also shortened the time for booster shots from at least six months after completion of the initial series to at least five months, for everyone aged 12 and older, reports Xinhua news agency.
The agency has determined that the protective health benefits of a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to provide continued protection against the virus and the associated serious consequences outweigh the potential risks in individuals aged 12 to 15.
The agency said that it found "no new safety concerns" following a booster shot in young teenagers, and that there were no new reports of two types of heart inflammation called myocarditis or pericarditis linked to the boosters.
The decision came as the Omicron variant is spreading rapidly across the US and has led to record high hospitalisations among younger people.
--IANS
ksk/
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU