Should CA Kids 12+ Be Given Booster Shots? Readers Weigh In

CALIFORNIA — California health officials recommended the Pfizer COVID-19 booster shot this week for children as young as 12, broadening access to the third dose of the vaccine as the state's infection rate climbs past a record high.

On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed an extra Pfizer shot for younger teens — those 12 to 15 — and strengthened its recommendation that 16- and 17-year-olds get it, too.

“It is critical that we protect our children and teens from COVID-19 infection and the complications of severe disease," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC’s director, said in a statement Wednesday night.

In a recent report, we asked Patch readers to weigh in on whether children should be vaccinated and given a third jab.

Out of 1,217 respondents in a non-scientific survey, 50.8 percent said all children should be vaccinated against COVID-19, while 45.8 percent said they should not be. Some 3.5 percent said they were unsure.

The Western States Scientific Safety Workgroup also recommended a booster shot for certain immunocompromised children ages 5 to 11.

We asked readers: If you have a child who is newly eligible for the vaccine booster (ages 12 through 16), will you have him/her get it?

• 49.8 percent answered "yes"
• 46.3 percent answered "no"
• 3.9 percent said "maybe"

"It’s simple, vaccines save lives. Everyone 12 and older should keep their immunity strong and protect themselves and their families against COVID-19, including the highly transmissible Omicron variant, by getting a booster dose," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. "The state has ample vaccine supply, so don’t wait – get your booster today."

Also, regulators authorized a third Pfizer vaccine shot five months after the second dose, shortening the wait period for the booster by a month, and authorized the boosters to immunocompromised children ages 5-11.

Booster shots were already recommended for everyone over 16, and they will soon be available for people aged 12 and up. They'll be available in California for free at neighborhood pharmacies. Locations and appointments can be made through the California state vaccine website or directly through pharmacy websites such a CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens.

The authorization of the booster shot for younger children comes as the omicron variant rips across California, pushing infection rates up at an astonishing rate.

Although scientists suspect the omicron variant inflicts a more mild bout of illness, officials are warning that the unvaccinated could still be at risk of serious disease.

Vaccines still offer strong protection against serious illness from any type of COVID-19, including omicron — what experts say is their most important benefit. But the newest mutant can slip past a layer of the vaccines' protection to cause milder infections. Studies show a booster dose at least temporarily revs up virus-fighting antibodies to levels that offer the best chance at avoiding symptomatic infection, even from omicron.

"This booster dose will provide optimized protection against COVID-19 and the Omicron variant. I encourage all parents to keep their children up to date with CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine recommendations,” Walensky said.

Newsom on Friday announced the activation of the California National Guard to support local communities with additional testing facilities and capacity amid the national surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant.

More than 200 Cal Guard members were set to be deployed across 50 Optum Serve sites around the state, serving as temporary clinical staff while permanent staff is hired, the governor announced.

The difficulty finding coronavirus test kits in many parts of California and delays in getting results are causing increasing frustration and contributing to the surge of infections that in just two weeks more than doubled the number of people in hospitals with COVID-19.

Newsom on Saturday also unveiled a proposed $2.7 billion COVID- 19 emergency response package as part of his next budget proposal, including a $1.4 billion emergency appropriation request to bolster testing capacity, accelerate vaccination and booster efforts, support frontline workers, strengthen the health care system and "battle misinformation.

The omicron variant accounts for at least 80 percent of COVID-19 cases in California, according to the state.

The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.