FDA Recommends Pfizer COVID-19 Booster Shot For Kids 12 To 15

The FDA has cleared a path for kids between the ages of 12 and 15 to get a Pfizer booster shot.

It comes as the country is reporting record numbers of COVID-19 cases linked to the Omicron variant.

The new guidance still has to be approved by the CDC, but the Tulsa Health Department said it is ready to give out these boosters.

Right now, kids that are 16 and 17 are allowed to get a booster, but the FDA waited to study real-world data for younger teens.

The FDA says there are no new safety concerns for giving a booster to kids of that age group, starting at five months after their second dose.

Ellen Niemitalo is the manager of immunizations for the Tulsa Health Department and is encouraging parents to get their teens vaccinated if they haven't done so yet, or get a booster when they are eligible.

And while most cases in kids are mild, Niemitalo said they have seen an increase in pediatric hospitalizations and cases in the last week.

"We are anticipating that as the Omicron variant starts becoming more widespread throughout the community, that some of the younger people really are going to become infected more so with that variant if some of the studies and some of the trends in the other countries are going to hold true," she said.

The CDC is expected to vote on this later this week.