US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on Covid-19 response and the vaccination program, from the South Court Auditorium of the White House, Washington, DC on May 12, 2021.
Nicholas Kamm | AFP | Getty Images
President Joe Biden on Wednesday urged parents to get their children vaccinated after a key Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel endorsed the use of Pfizer‘s and BioNTech‘s Covid-19 vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 15.
Earlier Wednesday, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, issued its recommendation, which was adopted 14-0 with one abstention. The endorsement now awaits final approval by CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, which is expected imminently.
During a press conference, Biden said the endorsement was “one more giant step in our fight against the pandemic.”
Nearly 17 million Americans are now eligible to get vaccinated, Biden said during a speech on the White House’s Covid-19 response and vaccination campaign. “I encourage each of them and their parents to get their vaccination shots right away,” he said.
The two-dose vaccine was found to be 100% effective in the clinical trial of 12- to 15-year olds. The most commonly reported side effects were pain at the injection site and in joints and muscles, tiredness, headache, chills and fever, Pfizer scientist Dr. John Perez told the CDC panel earlier Wednesday. Side effects usually resolved within one to two days, he said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
