Pfizer asked the FDA to expand the use of the Omicron booster to 5 through 11 years old. If the FDA approves, then elementary school-aged children will start to receive a kid-sized dose of the updated booster. The kid-sized dose is a third of the dose given to everyone 12 and up. The FDA vaccine chief, Dr. Peter Marks, stated he expected a decision on boosters for that age range last week.
In addition, Pfizer announced a new study of the Omicron-focused booster in even younger children – six months through 4 years old. Earlier this month, Pfizer and its rival Moderna rolled out their updated booster for people ages 12 and up. The updated booster is a revision to the vaccines that have saved millions of lives. The bivalent shot contains half of the original COVID-19 vaccine and half of the protection against the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron relatives. Both subvariants are responsible for most of the coronavirus cases today.
Medical professionals hope the updated boosters help reduce continuing COVID-19 cases and prevent another winter surge. Last week, the CDC said that 4.4 million Americans had received the updated booster.
