CDC recommends Pfizer COVID booster for kids as young as 12

Adolescents age 12-17 should receive a a Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot five months after their initial series of immunizations, the CDC announced Wednesday.

"It is critical that we protect our children and teens from COVID-19 infection and the complications of severe disease," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. "This booster dose will provide optimized protection against COVID-19 and the Omicron variant. I encourage all parents to keep their children up to date with CDC's COVID-19 vaccine recommendations."