May 10, 2021 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to include adolescents 12 through 15 years of age. The FDA amended the EUA originally issued on Dec. 11, 2020, for administration in individuals 16 years of age and older. Click here to read the full FDA press release.

See Additional Resources section for updated Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine information.

On May 12, 2021, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 14-0 (with one recusal) to recommend the use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for persons 12-15 years of age.

Meeting presentations follow:

The publication of the ACIP's recommendation is expected on Friday, May 14, 2021, in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

May 12, 2021 - CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, 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 now recommends that this vaccine be used among this population, and providers may begin vaccinating them right away. Click here to read the statement.

In addition to approving the vaccine’s use for adolescents, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its clinical guidance to allow COVID-19 vaccines to be administered at the same time as other routine vaccines.

The publication of the ACIP's recommendation is expected on Friday, May 14, 2021, in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

In a policy statement published online on May 12, 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended that adolescents ages 12 and older get vaccinated against COVID-19 now that federal health officials have signed off on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for these ages.

Committee on Infectious Diseases. COVID-19 vaccines in children and adolescents.

Pediatrics. 2021; doi: 10.1542/peds.2021-052336.

Today the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC’s) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended an expanded indication of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to individuals 12-15 years of age. This recommendation is in line with the FDA’s action on Monday, May 10, to amend the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for this vaccine to include this younger age group (https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-emergency-use). CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky also announced this evening that CDC has accepted the ACIP’s recommendation (https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0512-advisory-committee-signing.html). Effective immediately providers in Massachusetts may begin to administer the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to individuals age 12 and older. 

CDC will be updating its Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States webpage. The webpage should be updated within the next few days. Please check the webpage for updates.

CDC's pediatric COVID-19 vaccination toolkit for healthcare professionals can be found here. The toolkit has updated recommendations and includes factsheets and digital communication resources that you can utilize to promote COVID-19 vaccination.