CDC Backs Pfizer-BioNTech Booster for Immunocompromised Children

The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is the only one authorized for people under 18 years.

Photo: Maddie McGarvey for The Wall Street Journal

Jan. 4, 2022 11:36 am ET

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that many children with weakened immune systems get a booster from Pfizer Inc. PFE -3.74% and BioNTech SE BNTX -3.35% four weeks after their second shot.

The agency issued the recommendation Tuesday for moderately and severely immunocompromised children 5 to 11 years.

It also said that people who received the vaccine from Pfizer and partner BioNTech should receive a booster dose five months after their second shot, shortening the timeline by a month.

The recommendations “ensure that the most vulnerable children can get an additional dose to optimize protection against Covid-19,” said CDC director Rochelle Walensky.

The decisions follow the Food and Drug Administration’s authorization of both measures on Monday.

The FDA also cleared boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds, but the CDC is waiting to issue a recommendation until its advisory panel meets Wednesday to discuss expanding the shots to adolescents.

Many states and vaccination sites follow the recommendations of the CDC before giving the shots.

To bolster people’s protection against the Omicron variant, health authorities have been urging people to get an extra dose, and a growing number of institutions and businesses are mandating boosters.

Early research indicates the additional doses are needed to protect against Omicron.

To help combat Omicron, the Biden administration is opening up more Covid testing sites and delivering 500 million Covid tests to Americans. WSJ’s Daniela Hernandez breaks down why testing is still a pain point in the U.S., two years into the pandemic. Photo Illustration: David Fang

Fully vaccinated children between 5 and 11 years who aren’t immunocompromised don’t currently need boosters, the FDA said. It said it is reviewing additional data related to younger children and Covid-19.

The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is the only one authorized for people under 18 years, while shots from Moderna Inc. and Johnson & Johnson are cleared for those 18 and over.

The CDC’s recent booster moves don’t affect people who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

Under the CDC’s recommendations, people who took the Moderna vaccine should get a booster six months after their second dose, while Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients should receive any booster dose two months after their initial dose.

The CDC has previously backed mixing and matching primary vaccine doses and boosters. Immunocompromised people ages 12 years and older had also been cleared to receive booster doses after one month.

Write to Felicia Schwartz at [email protected]