Updated COVID Booster For 5+

 

Last week, the CDC and the FDA approved the newest bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for use as a single booster dose for children down to the age of 5 years old (for Pfizer’s vaccine; Moderna’s booster is available for children 6 and older).

The new booster, which contains components of the early coronavirus variants plus the more recent Omicron B.4 and B.5 strains, has already been received by more than 15 million Americans since it was approved for ages 12 and up early last month:

Updated COVID-19 vaccines add Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein components to the current vaccine composition, helping to restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and targeting recent Omicron variants that are more transmissible and immune-evading.

FDA’s authorization of updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccines for this younger age group, and CDC’s recommendation for use, are critical next steps forward in our country’s vaccination program—a program that has helped provide increased protection against severe COVID-19 disease and death.

 

Pediatricians strongly recommend the primary 2-dose series for everyone 6 months of age and older. A single bivalent booster should then be given as soon as 2 months after the primary series is completed for everyone 5 and older to be fully protected against all the major variants and subvariants (so far) of SARS-CoV-2. Like the primary series, the booster shots have been proven effective and safe in clinical trials. Recipients can expect very mild tenderness at the injection site for a day or two afterwards.

Getting children vaccinated before the holidays is important to protect them and others — especially friends and loved ones who are older or who are dealing with chronic medical problems that make them more vulnerable to having complications and poor outcomes — as the weather gets cold and indoor celebrations become more frequent.

Call your pediatrician’s office today to schedule a COVID vaccine or booster — and don’t forget a flu shot, too!

Find more information about COVID-19 vaccines and boosters for children from the AAP here and Yale Medicine here.

 

source http://www.thepediablog.com/2022/10/17/updated-covid-booster-for-5/