COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project’s Statement on Boosters for Adolescents

January 6, 2022

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has endorsed expanded eligibility of COVID-19 booster doses, recommending that adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old should receive a booster shot 5 months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination series. (The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is currently the only booster shot authorized and recommended for adolescents aged 12-17.)

In a statement announcing the new guidance CDC Director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky said: 

“It is critical that we protect our children and teens from COVID-19 infection and the complications of severe disease. Today, I endorsed ACIP’s vote to expand eligibility and strengthen our recommendations for booster doses. We now recommend that all adolescents aged 12-17 years should receive a booster shot 5 months after their primary series. This booster dose will provide optimized protection against COVID-19 and the Omicron variant. I encourage all parents to keep their children up to date with CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.”