© AP

A panel of independent advisors to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday recommended booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 5-11.

This recommendation comes just two days after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the authorization of Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster shot for children in that age group

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is likely to sign off on the recommendation later today. Children who received their first dose at least five months ago will then be eligible.

Throughout the five-hour meeting that the ACIP held on Thursday, health officials continually cited data that found booster doses in children within this age range were safe and effective at reducing hospitalizations and deaths.

While pediatric hospitalizations increased to record numbers during the omicron surge, parents have proved hesitant to vaccinate their kids.

According to the most recent data from the CDC, about 36 percent of children in the U.S. aged 5-11 are partially vaccinated and nearly 29 percent are fully vaccinated.