American Nurses Association Supports the COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Recommendation for Children Ages 12-15

Children in that age group can receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster five months after getting their second dose.

The American Nurses Association (ANA) is supporting a recommendation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster for children ages 12-15, five months after they have received their second dose.

"Surging cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant along with increasing flu infections are stalling our efforts to keep schools and communities open, to continue extracurricular activities and hobbies, and to relieve exhausted nurses and overwhelmed healthcare facilities," Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN, president of ANA, said in a press release.

"It is imperative that parents and families connect with a pediatrician, a nurse, or a nurse practitioner to gather the facts and ensure that their loved ones are safe and protected," he said.

The highly transmissible Omicron variant is hospitalizing an average of 830 children under age 18 each day—up 33.6% from the average during the previous seven days, according to the CDC's Data Tracker.

In Houston, the number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 is setting records, with more than 75 children receiving treatment at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), according to KHOU.

More than one-third of TCH's patients at TCH are younger than 5, so they are not yet eligible to be vaccinated, doctors said.

"The availability of safe and effective vaccines remains one of our strongest defenses against preventable viruses and severe symptoms," Grant said.

"Don't delay—get your children vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu," he said. "And if they are eligible, make an appointment as soon as possible for them get a COVID-19 booster."