Bivalent booster OKed for kids 6 months and older

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday announced it has expanded the emergency use authorization for the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine to include children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years.

• Children older than 6 months who have received the primary two-dose coronavirus vaccines from Moderna are now eligible to receive the bivalent booster designed to protect against omicron subvariants of the virus.
• Kids who have not yet started on the primary series of Pfizer’s original coronavirus vaccines, which is administered in three doses for this younger age range, or have not yet received the final third dose, are also eligible for the bivalent shot.

“As this virus has changed, and immunity from previous COVID-19 vaccination wanes, the more people who keep up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, the more benefit there will be for individuals, families and public health by helping prevent severe illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement.

According to the most up-to-date federal data, the BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 omicron subvariants are the two most common forms of the coronavirus circulating in the U.S. right now, collectively accounting for more than 60 percent of cases.

The bivalent shots are expected to still be effective against these strains, as they descend from the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants.