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January 9, 2022 – The following statement is attributable to Gerald E. Harmon, MD, President, American Medical Association:

“With an increasing number of children infected with COVID-19 and a record number of hospitalizations following the Omicron variant, WADA welcomes the CDC and ACIP’s recommendation to expand the use of ” a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID -19 vaccine for children and adolescents 12 years of age and older, 5 months after their first round of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination. Given the data suggesting that a booster dose offers better protection against newer variants of SARS-CoV-2, recommending a booster dose for this population will help reduce their risk of infection, hospitalization and death and will help prevent the spread of the virus to parents, loved ones and the community in general.

“Although children 5 years of age and older have been eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine since November 2021, vaccination rates among children and adolescents remain low. We strongly urge all parents to get their children fully immunized as soon as they are eligible. While there is overwhelming scientific evidence showing that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, we know that many parents and families still have questions. We encourage parents to speak with their child’s doctor and consult reliable resources, such as getvaccineanswers.org, to get the information they need to make an informed decision. As this global pandemic continues to rage, we hope more children and adults will get vaccinated in the coming weeks to help limit the spread of COVID-19, as well as illness and death. that it provokes.

About the American Medical Association
The American Medical Association is physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that brings together more than 190 state and specialty medical corporations and other key stakeholders, WADA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in healthcare. WADA leverages its strength in removing barriers that interfere with patient care, leading the charge of preventing chronic disease and dealing with public health crises, and leading the future of medicine to meet challenges. biggest challenges in healthcare.
Source: AMA