The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster for kids at least 12 years old as cases continue to soar nationwide. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel will meet this week to decide whether to recommend the FDA’s expansion of the approval list and the decision that the third jab can be administered as early as five months after the last dose. The FDA also is authorizing the use of a third dose for certain immunocompromised children ages 5 to 11. “Throughout the pandemic, as the virus that causes COVID-19 has continuously evolved, the need for the FDA to quickly adapt has meant using the best available science to make informed decisions with the health and safety of the American public in mind,” Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement.