Young teenagers 12-15 could be getting vaccine shots in two weeks--CDC Director

Kids ages 12 to 15 could be getting vaccinated in less than two weeks, CDC director says Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on CNN’s New Day Wednesday that 12- to 15-year-olds could be getting vaccinated against Covid-19 in less than two weeks. By <a href="/profiles/joshua-berlinger">Joshua Berlinger</a>, <a href="/profiles/brad-lendon">Brad Lendon</a>, <a href="/profiles/aditi-sandal">Aditi Sangal</a> and <a href="/profiles/ivana-kottasova">Ivana Kottasová</a>, CNN CNN

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on CNN’s New Day Wednesday that 12- to 15-year-olds could be getting vaccinated against Covid-19 in less than two weeks. 

The US Food and Drug Administration will likely authorize Pfizer/BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine for children ages 12 to 15 by early next week, a federal official told CNN this week.

Walensky explained that soon after the FDA makes its authorization, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet and make a recommendation based on the data.

The vaccine is already in pharmacies, she said, “so soon after ACIP I think you’ll be able to take your 14-year-old and bring them in to get vaccinated.” 

When asked by CNN’s John Berman if the time frame for this to happen was a couple of weeks, Walensky responded, “if not a bit sooner.” 

Vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have scheduled an emergency meeting for Wednesday, May 12, according to a schedule posted on the CDC website. ACIP has not posted an agenda for the meeting, and the CDC did not immediately answer queries from CNN about whether the meeting was called in anticipation of an FDA decision.