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The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use as a single booster dose in teens ages 16 and 17 .
The particular authorization stands to expand access to boosters amid a crushing wave of delta transmission, fears over the looming omicron variant, and the approach of end-of-year holiday gatherings. Currently, boosters are open and recommended for all adults ages 18 and up.
Earlier this week, a crop of preliminary data suggested that boosters will likely be necessary to protect against the omicron variant , which appears to dodge protective immune defenses from both vaccination plus prior infection. Previously, data indicated that vaccine effectiveness wanes against delta and previous variants after six months.
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