Biden’s CDC director says she is considering allowing booster shots for 12-year-olds

In an interview with CNN, Walensky said that "the first thing to note is to get your children vaccinated."

"We have vaccine available for children above the age of five," she added. "The FDA is currently looking at the issue of booster shots for those 12 to 15 years of age."

"I know that the companies and manufactures are working towards data for under five year olds. That will not be in the months ahead, but we're working to get there soon."

The CDC director then said that she understood that parents want a booster shot for their children with rising number of cases, deriving from the omicron variant. She said the CDC would look to follow with this as soon as they receive more information from the vaccine manufacturers.

On Monday, Walensky cut quarantine restrictions for Americans who contract COVID-19 down from 10 days to five days. Similarly, the CDC has also shortened the time that close contacts are required to quarantine.

CDC officials stated that the guidance is based on growing evidence that people who catch the coronavirus are most infectious in the two days before and three days after symptoms develop, The Associated Press reported.