CDC panel recommends the Pfizer vaccine for children 12 and older

A panel of advisors with the Centers for Disease Control voted unanimously on Wednesday to recommend giving the Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine to children as young as 12.

The CDC’s independent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 14-0 in favor of the move, with one recusal.

“This is one more step to gaining immunity and bringing the pandemic closer to an end,” said Dr. José Romero, who chairs the panel. “We still need to vaccinate the rest of the world, but we have made significant steps and are on the road.”

“The childhood experience that our kids have gone through will have long lasting consequences that may extend across generations, to be honest,” said Dr. Grace Lee, a professor of pediatrics at Stanford University who is also on the committee. “We don’t really fully yet understand the total physical health, mental health, and educational impact of the pandemic on our kids.”

The panel’s endorsement of the vaccine is expected to be followed by a formal approval by the CDC. Experts say that children could begin being vaccinated as early as tomorrow.

In a press conference, President Biden encouraged parents to vaccinate their children.

“The vaccine for kids between the ages of 12 and 15 [is] safe, effective, easy, fast and free. My hope is that parents will take advantage,” he said.

[twitter_embed https://twitter.com/CBSNews/statuses/1392581331729649667 iframe_id=”twitter-embed-1392581331729649667″ created_ts=1620852237 name=”CBS News” embed_mobile_width=375 text=”Biden encourages parents to get their children vaccinated after a CDC panel recommended Pfizer’s COVID shots for people as young as 12nn”The vaccine for kids between the ages of 12 and 15 [is] safe