By Eric Klein
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week approved the use of COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 12 to 15, allowing the expanded vaccinations to begin immediately.
“Today, I adopted CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation that endorsed the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and its use in 12- through 15-year-old adolescents,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a written statement.
“CDC now recommends that this vaccine be used among this population, and providers may begin vaccinating them right away,” Walensky said of the decision, which makes about 17 million additional Americans eligible for vaccination.