Cuomo says Pfizer vaccine could be approved this week in NY for people 12 to 15

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the Pfizer vaccine, currently the only one permitted for people ages 16 and 17, could get emergency authorization later this week for 12- to 15-year-olds as well.

The federal Food and Drug Administration on Monday expanded the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine to include people ages 12 to 15.

“This is an encouraging step in the ongoing battle against this global pandemic,” Cuomo said in a statement today. “The Covid-19 vaccine is our best weapon to defeat the virus, and we’re taking all the appropriate precautions to ensure the safety and effectiveness of our vaccine program.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, will meet publicly on Wednesday to review data and discuss whether to recommend the vaccine for this age group to the CDC director.

Following that review, Dr. Howard Zucker, commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, will meet with the state’s Clinical Advisory Task Force and make a final recommendation, “which means we could have full authorization for vaccinations to begin for 12- to 15-year-olds here in New York as early as Thursday,” Cuomo said.

“As we have with the authorization of each Covid-19 vaccine and subsequent changes, we will use science and data to determine the safest path forward for New Yorkers,” Cuomo said.