The following statement is attributable to:

Gerald E. Harmon, M.D.

President, American Medical Association

“With an increasing number of children becoming infected with COVID-19, and a record number being hospitalized as a result of the Omicron variant, the AMA welcomes the CDC and ACIP’s recommendation to expand the use of a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to children and teens age 12 and older, 5 months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination series. Given the data suggesting a booster dose provides greater protection against new SARS-CoV-2 variants, recommending a booster dose for this population will help reduce their risk of infection, hospitalization and death and help prevent the further spread of the virus to parents, loved ones and the community at large.

“Although children 5 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 vaccinated as soon as they are eligible. While there is overwhelming scientific evidence showing COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, we know many parents and families still have questions. We encourage parents to speak with their child’s physician and review trusted resources, such as getvaccineanswers.org, to get the information they need to make an informed decision. As this global pandemic continues to rage, we are hopeful that more and more children and adults will get vaccinated in the weeks ahead to help limit the spread of COVID-19, and the illness and death it causes.”