By Pacific Island Times News Staff
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today approved the Covid-19 vaccine boosters for individuals ages 16 to 17 years old.
"Although we don’t have all the answers on the omicron variant, initial data suggests that Covid-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen the protection against omicron and other variants," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.
"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.," she added.
At this time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech Covud-19 vaccine is authorized and recommended for adolescents aged 16 and 17, C DC said.
Adolescents 16 and 17 years of age who received a Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine (first two doses) are eligible for a single booster shot at least 6 months or more after their initial series.
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Requirements for minors to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine:
Parent/legal guardian must provide minor’s birth certificate
Parent/legal guardian must have a government-issued photo identification (ID)
Minor must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian
Guardians must present legal guardianship or power-of-attorney document.
As of Dec. 9, a total of 126,679 of Guam’s eligible population (residents 5 years and older) is fully vaccinated. This total includes 12,052 residents 12 – 17 years old. 3,672 residents 5 – 11 years old received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech two-dose series. 853 residents 5 – 11 years old have completed their two-dose series. 30,929 booster shots have been administered to eligible residents.
The Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) reported 13 new cases of Covid-19 out of 925 tests performed on Dec. 8. Seven cases were identified through contact tracing. To date, there have been a total of 19,300 officially reported cases, 267 deaths, 281 cases in active isolation, and 18,752 not in active isolation. The CAR Score is 0.9.
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