The CDC approved the updated COVID booster for children ages 5 to 11 this week. Last month, the updated booster rolled out for Americans 12 and older. Although there wasn’t a big rush for the modified booster, health officials urge people to seek the extra protection. Now, the FDA has approved elementary school-age kids to receive the updated booster. Pfizer made a version for children ages 5 to 11, and Moderna made a version for children as young as 6. Pfizer could ship up to 6 million kid-sized doses within a week of authorization and ongoing shipments of adult-sized doses.
The modified boosters contain half the recipe that targets the original COVID-19 strain and half protection against the omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5. The bivalent boosters broaden immune defenses. Hence, people obtain better protection against severe illnesses from coronavirus. “We want to have the best of both worlds,” Pfizer’s Dr. Bill Gruber, a pediatrician, told The Associated Press. He hopes the updated shots will “re-energize interest in protecting children for the winter.”
The new boosters are “essential” for keeping school-aged kids healthy and in school. Only individuals who received their initial vaccinations qualify for the updated booster. Therefore, only three-fourths of Americans 12 and older are eligible. Last weekend, at least 13 million people received an updated booster.
Unfortunately, pediatricians admit that getting children their first vaccination is challenging. Less than a third of 5 to 11 years old have had their two primary doses. The newly added age group will receive a kid-size dose of the updated booster, which is a third of the dose. In addition, they can receive it at least two months after their last dose, whether it was the primary vaccination series or an earlier booster.
