COVID vaccine boosters approved for kids, Senate blocks vaccine mandate

Both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC approved Pfizer boosters for kids 16 and 17 years old Thursday, a day after the Senate blocked the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for businesses employing 100 or more workers. The FDA and CDC moves serve as the first to allowing kids to get booster shots, as the Pfizer vaccine is the only one currently allowed to be used on Americans under 18.

“The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has been available to individuals 16 years of age and older for nearly a year, and its benefits have been shown to clearly outweigh potential risks,” FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Director Peter Marks said in a news release. “Since we first authorized the vaccine, new evidence indicates that vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 is waning after the second dose of the vaccine for all adults and for those in the 16- and 17-year-old age group.”

FDA approval of Pfizer boosters for kids ages 16 and 17 comes as the Omicron variant has renewed a push to get as many Americans as possible boosted. Last month, both the FDA and the CDC approved Pfizer and Moderna boosters for all American adults.

“With both the delta and omicron variants continuing to spread, vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19,” Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in the release.

Hours later, the CDC formally recommend the boosters for this age group.

“We know that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and I strongly encourage adolescents ages 16 and 17 to get their booster if they are at least 6 months post their initial Pfizer vaccination series,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. The video above shows Dr. Walensky speaking with an Associated Press reporter on child boosters.

A day before the FDA decision of Pfizer boosters for eligible kids, the Senate nullified the Biden vaccine mandate in a tight 52-48 vote. The video above shows the vote. Two Democratic lawmakers voted with 50 Republicans to void the mandate, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Jon Tester (D-MT).

“If you look at my state, 40% of my state’s workforce stands to lose their job under this mandate,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) said. “It will be a killer to our economy.”

The Democratic-led House is unlikely to take the measure up, which means the mandate would stand. However, courts have put it on hold for now.

“If their plans go into effect, COVID will linger longer and the chance of new variants and new more dangerous variants occurring increases,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said. “It is anti-science, anti-common sense, it makes no sense.”