CDC says Pfizer-jabbed should get booster even sooner now

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended on Tuesday that those who have received the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine should be receiving a booster shot a month earlier than was originally suggested.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended the accelerated timeline on Monday, and the CDC agreed, shortening the window for a booster from six months after you’re fully vaccinated to only five. 

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky cited the Omicron variant and a recent spike in cases across the US as the reason for the change. She said health officials will also be discussing boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds on Wednesday, following the FDA recommending Pfizer third doses for the age group on Monday.

Those who received the Moderna vaccine are still recommended to wait six months after their doses, while Johnson & Johnson recipients have been told to get a booster only two months after their single-dose jabs. 

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The CDC has also said children aged between five and 11 with “moderately to severe weakened immune systems” are eligible to receive boosters only 28 days after their initial vaccine doses. Only the Pfizer vaccine is approved for this age group.

The new recommendations follow the US announcing a record of one million new coronavirus infections on Monday, primarily fueled by the Omicron variant.

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