The US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday signed off on two new COVID-19 boosters for children as young as 5 years old. Moderna’s is authorized for children as young as age 6, as long as it’s been at least two months since their last shot. Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine is for kids 5 and older, at least two months after their last vaccine dose or booster shot.
Like the vaccines that’ve been available to teens and adults since September, both companies’ boosters for children target the dominant omicron strain causing most COVID-19 cases right now. Though the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention needs to sign off before the new vaccines become officially available, we can expect a final endorsement soon.
“While it has largely been the case that COVID-19 tends to be less severe in children than adults, as the various waves of COVID-19 have occurred, more children have gotten sick with the disease and have been hospitalized,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the FDA, said in a news release. “Children may also experience long-term effects, even following initially mild disease.”
Vaccine rates among children, let alone booster rates, have been low in the US compared with booster and vaccine rates in adults. According to an Oct. 5 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, 38% of children ages 5 to 11 have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 9% of children 6 months through 4 years have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Children as young as 6 months can get a primary COVID-19 vaccine (the first two doses). The older COVID-19 boosters will be taken off the market now that updated formulas are authorized, but the original vaccines will remain available for children who haven’t had any COVID-19 vaccine yet.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
