FDA authorizes updated COVID booster shots for children as young as 5

The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized updated COVID-19 booster shots for children as young as five. The booster vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer are targeted at both the original coronavirus strain, as well as against the most common omicron variants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must sign off on the vaccines before they can be used. The Pfizer booster is for children from age five and the Moderna booster is for children from age six. “Since children have gone back to school in person and people are resuming pre-pandemic behaviors and activities, there is the potential for increased risk of exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19. Vaccination remains the most effective measure to prevent the severe consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the Food and Drug Administration.