Young North Texans Get COVID-19 Boosters Following FDA Approval
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The FDA has approved booster shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15.
The administration made the announcement Monday, Jan. 3, sending many families rushing to their local pharmacies.
It might not have been the way they expected to spend the end of winter break, but with the pandemic continuing to rage among a surge of the omicron variant, no one seemed to mind.
"I was at basketball practice, and I got in the car, and my mom was like, 'You're going to get your booster today,'" said 15-year-old Jayna Khatti. "I was just going to sit at home, get ready for school, but this is much more exciting."
"I was worried it was going to be a long time before we got it, but I think it's good because we're about to get to a lot of traveling for sports and stuff, so I'm glad I got it now," said 15-year-old Tennie McFarland.
At Campbell Pharmacy in North Dallas, families flooded in within minutes of hearing that their 12 to 15 year-olds were eligible for the booster.
"It's been busy. It's been nice. This is what we've been wanting," said Lead Clinical Pharmacist Dawn Moshier.
Parents and their kids said this day brings another layer of protection, and, with it, peace of mind.
"Anything we can do to do our part to slow this thing down, we're all for it," said parent John McFarland. "Excited to see that it was approved and run right up here."
"My grandparents live at home with me, and right now my grandpa's living at the ranch," said 13-year-old Thomas Rohrman. "I want him to be able to live at home, so I need to get the vaccine so I can't carry the sickness to him."
To Moshier, the crowded pharmacy said it all.
"The thing is the joy in people's faces. They're happy. They want to come in here and do this," she said.
The FDA also authorized the booster for children over 5 years old with compromised immune systems.
And it shortened the recommended amount of time from the second shot to the booster to five months instead of six.