The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its recommendation for when many people who received a primary vaccine series of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine can receive a booster shot of that vaccine, shortening the interval from six months to five months.
The booster interval recommendation for people who received the J&J vaccine (2 months) or the Moderna vaccine (6 months) has not changed.
In addition, the CDC recommends that moderately or severely immunocompromised 5-11-year-olds receive an additional primary dose of vaccine 28 days after their second shot. At this time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is authorized and recommended for children aged 5-11.
Both moves follow a decision from officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to amend the agency’s emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to permit both of those situations.
However, the CDC did not immediately embrace the FDA’s decision to also authorize booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for youth 12-15 years of age. Instead, the CDC has scheduled a meeting for January 5, 2022, of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), to discuss the issue.
