CNBC - Spencer Kimball - DEC 8, 2022
Children as young as 6 months old can now receive the updated Covid vaccines that target the omicron variant.
The FDA’s decision to authorize the shots for the youngest kids comes as Covid infections and hospitalizations are increasing nationally.
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized updated Covid shots that target the omicron variant for children as young as 6 months old.
The eligibility rules vary depending on whether children received Moderna’s or Pfizer’s original vaccines as their primary series.
Here are the eligibility criteria:
Children 6 months through 5 years old who received Moderna’s two-dose primary series are now eligible for an omicron booster two months after their second shot.
Kids ages 6 months through 4 years old who have not yet received the third dose of Pfizer’s primary series will now receive the omicron shot as their third dose.
But kids in the same age group who have already completed Pfizer’s three-dose primary series cannot get the omicron shot as a booster, or fourth dose, at this time.
The FDA, in a statement, said it did not authorize omicron shots for those children who already received three doses of Pfizer’s vaccine because the agency is still waiting on supporting data for the booster dose. That data is expected in January and the FDA will review it as quickly as possible, the agency said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention needs to sign off on the shots before pharmacies and physicians can start administering them.
Dr. Peter Marks, head of the FDA’s vaccine division, told parents in a statement that the agency carefully reviewed the shots before authorizing them. Dr. Robert Califf, head of the FDA, said it’s important for people to stay up to date on their shots this winter because immunity against the virus wanes.
“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,” Califf said in a statement.
The authorizations come as Covid infections and hospitalizations are increasing in the wake of the Thanksgiving holiday. U.S. health officials are strongly encouraging everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated against Covid and the flu as respiratory viruses surge this season, putting strain on hospital emergency departments.
The new shots target the omicron BA.5 subvariant and the original Covid strain.
U.S. health officials expect the new shots to provide superior protection compared with the original vaccines, which only target the original Covid strain. But the available efficacy and immune response data for adults has been mixed.