Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine received final approval Wednesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for use in children ages 12 to 15. This followed a CDC advisory committee voting in favor earlier that day after the move by the Food and Drug Administration on Monday to give emergency use authorization for distribution to children ages 12 to 15.
"CDC now recommends that this vaccine be used among this population, and providers may begin vaccinating them right away," Rochelle Walensky, CDC director, said in a statement Wednesday. "Though most children with COVID-19 have mild or no symptoms, some children can get severely ill and require hospitalization. There have also been rare, tragic cases of children dying from COVID-19 and its effects, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome."
CDC now recommends Pfizer-BioNTech #COVID19 vaccine for use in 12- through 15-year-old adolescents. Providers may begin vaccinating them right away. See full statement from @CDCDirector Dr. Rochelle Walensky: https://t.co/OyFn44JWN1 pic.twitter.com/lmnVab3jJc
— CDC (@CDCgov) May 12, 2021
Read more:Â Vaccinated people don't need masks indoors, says CDC
Most states waited for the CDC's go-ahead to start vaccinating the new age group. Now that approval has come, 12- to 15-year-olds across the entire US can start getting vaccinated immediately.
Pfizer asked for emergency use authorization among children in early April, after finding in its own study that the vaccine was 100% effective among 12- to 15-year-olds.
As of May 12, the US has fully vaccinated more than 117.6 million people, or nearly 36% of the population, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Biden last week announced a plan for 70% of adults in the US to have at least their first COVID-19 shot by July 4.