Today, CDC’s Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., signed a choice memo increasing the usage of up to date (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccines to kids ages 5 by means of 11 years. This follows the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) authorization of up to date COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech for youngsters ages 5 by means of 11 years, and from Moderna for youngsters and adolescents ages 6 by means of 17 years.
Updated COVID-19 vaccines add Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein parts to the present vaccine composition, serving to to revive safety that has waned since earlier vaccination and focusing on latest Omicron variants which can be extra transmissible and immune-evading.
FDA’s authorization of up to date (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccines for this youthful age group, and CDC’s advice to be used, are essential subsequent steps ahead in our nation’s vaccination program—a program that has helped present elevated safety in opposition to extreme COVID-19 illness and dying.
