Lauran Neergaard and Mike Stobbe*
The US is urging that everyone 12 and older get a Covid-19 booster as soon as they’re eligible, to help fight back the hugely contagious Omicron mutant that’s ripping through the country.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging that Americans 12 and older to get a Covid-19 booster as soon as they’re eligible, to help fight back the hugely contagious Omicron mutant that’s ripping through the country.
Boosters already were encouraged for all Americans 16 and older, but Wednesday the CDC endorsed an extra Pfizer shot for younger teens – those 12 to 15 – and strengthened its recommendation that 16 and 17-year-olds get it, too.
“It is critical that we protect our children and teens from Covid-19 infection and the complications of severe disease,” Dr Rochelle Walensky, the CDC’s director, said in a statement Wednesday night.
“This booster dose will provide optimised 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,” she said.
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