Following action taken earlier this week by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to expand eligibility for a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to children 5 through 11, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra issued the following statement:

“We are focused on making sure Americans have access to COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, which are very best tools to prevent severe disease and save lives. Thanks to the FDA and CDC’s rigorous, comprehensive, and independent review of the data and their strict commitment to following the science, children 5 through 11 are now eligible for a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

“Nearly 102 million Americans have already received a booster shot, but too many people haven’t yet stepped up to get their booster shot. As FDA and CDC have made clear, getting a booster is incredibly important, including for children 5 through 11. If you are vaccinated and boosted, your odds of getting severely ill, going to the hospital, or dying are dramatically lower. People can go to Vaccines.gov to find free and easily available vaccines in their community. If we all do our part, we can continue to be safe, stay protected, and move forward together.”