The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday recommended two actions to increase access to additional doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine as COVID-19 cases continue to surge:
- Shortening the recommended interval of time between the initial series of Pfizer vaccinations and the Pfizer booster shot, from six months to five months. The recommended booster interval for other vaccines has not changed.
- Allowing kids ages 5 to 11 with moderately or severely weakened immune systems to receive an additional dose 28 days after their second Pfizer dose. Currently, only the Pfizer vaccine is recommended for that age group.
The CDC’s decisions followed recommendations made by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday. The FDA also approved Pfizer booster shots for 12- to 15-year olds. A CDC expert advisory committee is expected to discuss eligibility for that age group during a meeting Wednesday.
WashU Med strongly encourages all faculty, staff and students to receive the booster as soon as possible, and to have your families receive the booster as well.